OlnurS^-iPtrat  f  far 


*     NOV  1 0  1904      * 


THE 

CHRISTIAN  STUDY  COURSE 

for  Young  People's  Societies  and 
other  organizations  in  the  Church 
and    also    for    Private    headings 


The  Committee  appointed  by  the  General  Assembly  on  Youiii; 
Teople's  Societies  have  prepared  a  Christian  Study  Course  for  the  ad- 
vanced training  of  members  of  Young  People's  Societies  and  of  other 
clmrch  organizations,  and  also  for  the  benefit  of  private  readers,- in  order 
tliat  they  may  be  instructed  in  matters  of  the  Bible,  and  of  Presbyterian 
history,  doctrine,  polity,  and  missions,  and  so  become  J)etter  fitted  to 
be  workers  and  leaders  in  the  service  of  Christ  and  the  Church. 

The  three  handl^ooks,  named  below,  were  selected  by  the  Committee 
for  easy  study,  and  will  be  sent,  together,  postpaid  to  any  address,  by  the 
Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication  and  Sabbath-School  Work  in  Phila- 
delphia, or  by  any  of  its  Depositories  for  $i.io. 

1.  BIBLICAL: 

Subject  :   Sources  of  the  English  Bible. 

Handbook:       "How     We    Got    Our    Bible,"     by    Paterson 
Smyth,  LLTO.      Price,  50  cents  jwstpaid.      (Singly.) 

2.  HISTORICAL: 

Subject  :  Church  History  to  tlie  Close  of  the  Reformation. 
Handbook:    "Landmarks   of  Church   History,"  by  the   Rev. 
Henry  Cowan,  D.  D.      Price,  40  cents  postpaid.      (Singly. ) 

3.  DOCTRINE  AND  POLITY  : 

Subject:    Our  Creed   as    Related  to   Civil   and   Religious 

Liberty. 
Handbook  :    "The  Creed  of  Presbyterians,"  by  Rev.   p:gbert 

Watson  Smith,  D.I).       Price,  60  cents  postpaid.      (Singly. ) 

4.  MISSIONARY: 

Under  this  depaitment,  clnssrs  nnd   readers   arc  rclcrrr.l  to  the 

BV   1533    .S32    1904  jnte 

f  the 


A^pw 


Sabbath-school  teacher- 
training  course 


PRESBYTERIAN    BOARD    OF    PUBLICATION 
SABBATH=SCHOOL    WORK 

1319  Walnut  Street  156  Fifth  Avenue  102  Hichigan  Avenue 

PhiladelDhia  New  York  Chicagu 

1516  Locust  Street  23  Grant  Avenue 

St.  Louis  San  Francisco 


Sabbath -School 

Teacher  -Training 

Course 


FIRST  YEAR 

A  Series  of  Thirty-nine  Lessons,  designed 
for  use  in  Normal  Classes 


PHILADELPHIA 
Zbc  Westminster  press 

1904 


Copyright,  1904,  by  J.  H.  Scribner. 


Teacher-Training  Course. 


FOREWORD 

This  Training  Course  has  been  prepared  in  answer  to  an  earnest 
desire  among  Sabbath  school  teachers  themselves.  They  realize 
the  great  importance  of  their  work  and  its  responsibility  and  wish 
to  know  how  they  can  do  it  better.  The  Course  has  been  prepared 
with  much  thought  and  care.  It  is  believed  that  it  will  guide 
teachers  in  obtaining  a  wider  knowledge  of  the  Bible,  of  the  nature 
of  their  work  and  of  the  best  methods  of  teaching. 

To-day,  the  wise  father,  desirous  of  giving  his  son  the  very 
best  educational  advantages,  does  not  select  a  college  in  which 
there  is  one  great  teacher,  to  whom  he  sends  his  boy  for  the  purpose 
of  getting  all  that  that  one  mighty  instructor  is  able  to  impart. 
On  the  contrary,  he  chooses  an  institution  in  the  faculty  of  which 
there  are  well-known  specialists  in  their  various  departments,  and 
places  his  son  under  their  guidance.  Wherefore?  Because  he 
knows  that  in  these  times  of  great  increase  in  knowledge  and  of 
exact  specialization,  it  is  impossible  for  any  one  person  to  be 
prepared  to  be  an  excellent  teacher  in  many  things.  Hence,  in- 
struction is  sought  at  the  hands  of  those  who  by  special  study 
have  become  masters  in  their  own  fields  of  investigation. 

It  would  have  been  much  easier  for  the  Editor  to  have  one 
person  prepare  this  volume  than  for  him  to  adopt  the  plan  which 
he  followed.  This  would  not,  however,  have  proved  so  helpful  for 
the  student.  Instead  of  one  writer,  seven  have  given  of  their  very 
best  in  the  endeavor  to  make  this  text-book  of  the  greatest  value 
to  the  student.  Each  of  these  is  an  expert  in  his  own  particular 
line  of  study,  who,  after  years  of  successful  teaching,  is  qualified  to 
offer  that  which  will  do  the  learner  the  most  good.  The  number 
of  writers  will  account  for  the  diflferences  in  style  and  method  in 
the  various  sections  of  the  book.  As  a  compensation,  the  student 
has  the  advantage  of  the  personality  of  each  writer  as  manifested  in 
his  lessons. 

The  time  has  long  since  passed  when  Bible  students  feared  an 
antagonism  between  intellectuality  and  spirituality.  The  most  in- 
tellectual persons  may  be  the  most  spiritual.     On  the  other  hand. 


IV  FOREWORD 


no  person  dare  belittle  intellectual  preparation  on  the  part  of  the 
most  spiritual  teacher  of  the  word.  The  command  is  explicit: 
''Give  diligence  to  present  thyself  approved  unto  God,  a  workman 
that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed,  handling  aright  the  word  of 
truth"  (TI  Tim.  2:  15  A.  R.).  It  is  to  help  the  sincere  teacher 
to  obey  this  command  that  this  text-book  has  been  prepared.  It 
is  soon  to  be  followed  by  a  companion  volume.  In  these  two 
manuals  the  student  will  be  led  in  such  lines  of  study  as  will 
enable  him  to  know  the  Book  and  much  connected  with  it ;  to  know 
the  pupil  for  whom  the  Book  is  intended ;  and,  what  is  of  supreme 
importance,  to  learn  how  to  bring  the  Book  to  influence  ^he  every- 
day life  of  the  pupil. 

Of  course,  there  must  be  work  on  the  part  of  the  student,  but 
the  necessity  for  this  is  reduced  to  the  minimum  by  the  writers, 
who  present  in  an  easily  memorized  form  the  very  essence  of  the 
results  of  their  studies. 

A  number  of  churches  have  united  in  the  preparation  of  this 
Course — The  Presbyterian  Churches  North  and  South,  the  United 
Presbyterian  Church,  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Canada,  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  and  the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States.  Representatives  of  all  these  Churches  have  aided 
in  the  preparation  of  this  volume  and  the  one  which  is  to  follow. 

This  second  book  will  be  issued  in  good  season.  It  treats  of  the 
Books  of  the  New  Testament,  of  Church  History,  of  Christian 
Doctrine,  of  Christian  Service  in  Winning  Souls,  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  of  the  Church  at  Work  in  the  Sabbath  school. 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  STUDY 

Wherever  it  is  possible,  it  will  be  best  to  organize  a  class  to 
pursue  the  Training  Course.  There  is  always  an  inspiration  in 
numbers,  and,  as  a  rule,  better  work  is  done  in  a  class  than  where 
the  pupil  studies  alone. 

Two  classes  may  be  formed  in  the  average  school.  One  may  be 
composed  of  those  actually  in  service  as  teachers  or  officers  in  the 
Sabbath  school.  As  these  are  likely  to  be  very  busy  people,  with 
but  little  spare  time  on  their  hands,  instead  of  being  called  upon 
to  do  much  outside  study,  their  principal  work  should  be  in  the 
class,  in  which  the  various  lessons  may  be  taken  up  in  order  and 
considered  in  a  conversational  way  until  their  facts  are  grasped  and 
their  principles  understood. 

Another  class  may  be  made  up  of  young  people  of  the  church 
and  Sabbath  school  who  are  not  yet  teachers  in  the  latter.  For 
such  students  the  suggestion  is  made  that  they  not  only  strive  to 
understand  the  purport  of  the  various  lessons,  but  that  they  also 
actually  memorise  the  facts,  truths,  and  principles  stated  therein, 
as  a  foundation  for  future  study.  The  student  who  masters  this 
volume  and  the  companion  one,  will  have  a  fund  of  informa- 
tion and  a  knowledge  of  how  to  impart  that  information  which 
will  be  extremely  helpful  when  the  actual  work  of  teaching 
begins.  The  members  of  this  second  class  should  not  be  asked 
to  teach  until  they  have  finished  their  course.  Occasionally,  if 
they  are  willing  to  do  so,  they  will  be  greatly  helped  by  acting  as 
substitutes.  However,  such  teaching  must  be  voluntary  and  not 
under  compulsion.  Many  teacher-training  classes  have  been  broken 
up  because  the  superintendent  of  the  school  insisted  on  the  members 
thereof  teaching  before  they  were  prepared  to  do  so,  and  when  they 
should  be  in  the  training  class. 

Where  a  class  cannot  be  formed,  individuals  may  study  by  them- 
selves with  great  profit.  If  several  individuals  connected  with  a 
school  would  pursue  the  course  by  themselves,  and  meet  occasionally 
for  comparison  and  suggestions,  it  would  be  the  plan  next  best 
to  the  class   method. 

V 


SUGGESTIONS   FOR   STUDY 


Whatever  the  method  of  study  pursued,  too  much  cannot  be 
written  as  to  the  value  of  thoroughness.  The  lessons  are  grouped 
into  studies  for  a  quarter.  Only  three  terms'  study  are  presented 
for  the  year.  This  is  in  order  to  allow  one  quarter  to  be  free 
from  study.  The  term  may  begin  at  any  time.  If,  for  any  reason, 
the  whole  book  cannot  be  taken  in  the  year,  one  or  two  terms' 
study  will  be  much  better  than  none. 

A  word  as  to  the  teacher.  The  principal  qualification  for  such  a 
person  is  a  high  appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  work  of  •  the 
Sabbath  school.  Where  a  trained  teacher  is  available,  so  much  the 
better,  but  where  such  a  one  cannot  be  found,  that  is  no  reason 
why  a  teacher-training  class  should  not  be  formed.  One  who  really 
desires  to  be  helpful,  who  will  look  to  God  for  assistance,  and  who 
will  keep  just  a  little  ahead  of  the  members  of  the  class  will  make 
an  excellent  teacher.  There  is  no  efifort  that  will  pay  larger 
dividends  for  the  kingdom  of  Christ  than  this  work  of  training  the 
future  teachers  of  the  word  of  God. 

In  places  where  the  Interdenominational  Sunday  School  Asso- 
ciation does  not  provide  an  examination  on  this  text-book,  our 
Board  will  furnish  the  examination  questions,  mark  the  papers, 
and  grant  certificates  to  all  who  get  seventy  per  cent  or  over  as 
the  result  of  the  examination.  Those  who  obtain  certificates  for 
the  two  years'  courses  will  be  awarded  a  Teacher's  Diploma.  For 
further  particulars  concerning  these  or  any  other  matters  connected 
with  the  course,  address 

The   Editorial    Superintendent, 
Board  of   Publication, 
Witherspoon  Building,  Philadelphia. 


CONTENTS 


FIRST  TERM— PART  I 
Six  Lessons  on  the  Book  By  Prof,  Amos  R.  Wells,  A.  M. 

Lesson  Page 

I.  Bird's-eye  View  of  the  Bible 3 

II.  The  Old  Testament 6 

III.  The  New  Testament 9 

IV.  How  God's  Revelation  was  Written  and  Preserved I2 

V.  The   Story   of  the    English    Bible i6 

VI.  The   Bible   as   Literature 2i 

FIRST  TERM— PART  II  ^ 

Seven  Lessons  on  Bible  History 

By  Pres.  George  B.  Stewart,  D.  D. 

Lesson  Page 

VII.  Adam    to    Moses 27 

VIII.  Moses   to    Saul 30 

IX.  Saul   to   the   Babylonian   Captivity 33 

X.  The  Babylonian   Captivity  to   Christ 35 

XL     The  Life  of  Christ 38 

XII.  The  Life  of  Paul 41 

XIII.  The  Apostolic  Church 43 

SECOND  TERM— PART  I 

Five  Lessons  on  the  Lands  of  the  Bible 

By  the  Rev.  Charles  A.  Oliver 

Lesson  Page 

I.  The  Old  Testament  World 49 

II.  The  New   Testament   World 52 

III.  Palestine :    Facts    Concerning 56 

IV.  Palestine:    The  Physical    Divisions 58 

V.  Palestine:    The  Political-  Divisions 60 

vii 


CONTENTS 


SECOND  TERM— PART  II 

Four  Lessons  on  Bible  Worship  and  Customs 

By  Robert  J.  Miller,  D.  D. 

Lesson  Page 

VI.  The   Tabernacle 65 

VII.  The  Temple  and  Synagogue 68 

VIII.  Sacrifices  and   Feasts 73 

IX.  Jewish   Institutions 76 

SECOND  TERM— PART  III 
Four  Lessons  on  the  Sabbath  School      By  H.  L.  Phillips,  D.  D. 

Lesson  Page 

X.  Its  History 83 

XL      Its  Purpose,   Book,  and   Work 86 

XII.  Its  Organization  and   Equipment 88 

XIII.  Its  Relation  to  Church  and  Home 92 

THIRD  TERM— PART  I 

Seven  Lessons  on  the  Teacher 

By  the  Rev.  A.  H.  McKinney,  Ph.  D. 

Lesson  Page 

I.  The  Teacher's  Life  and  Influence 97 

II.  The  Teacher  Preparing  the  Lesson 99 

III.  The  Teacher  at  Work loi 

IV.  The  Teacher   Questioning 104 

V.  The  Teacher's   Illustrations 106 

VI.  The  Teacher  and  his  Pupils 109 

VII.  The  Teacher's    Model m 

THIRD  TERM— PART  II 
Six  Lessons  on  the  Pupil         By  Prof.  Walter  C.  Murray,  D.  D. 

Lesson  Page 

VIII.  Play 117 

IX.  Infancy "9 

X.  Childhood    121 

XI.  Childhood   (Continued) .123 

Xn.    Youth   125 

XIII.  Youth   (Continued) 128 


FIRST  TERM— PART  I 

SIX    LESSONS    ON    THE   BOOK 

Lesson  I.      Bird's-eye  View  of  the  Bible. 

II.  The  Old  Testament. 

III.  The  New  Testament. 

IV.  How  God's  Revelation  was  Written  and  Preserved. 

V.  The  Story  of  the  English  Bible. 

VI.  The  Bible  as  Literature. 


LESSON  I* 

BIRD'S-EYE  VIEW  OF  THE  BIBLE 

I.  What  is  the  Bible?  It  is  God's  written  revelation  of  his  will, 
made  to  his  chosen  people,  the  Hebrews,  become  the  sacred  book 
of  the  Christians,  and  destined  to  guide  the  lives  of  all  mankind. 

Discussion:     Is  this  definition  accurate?  complete? 

Five-Minute  Essay:     The   influence  of  the   Bible  on  the  world's 

history. 
Research:     How  widely  is  the  Bible  now  used? 

About  how  many  copies  have  been  printed? 

II.  Other  "Bibles,"  so  called,  the  sacred  books  of  other  religions, 
are :  In  China,  the  books  of  Confucianism  and  Taouism,  which  deal 
with  morality  and  do  not  claim  to  reveal  anything  beyond  this  earth ; 
in  India,  the  Vedas  and  other  writings,  a  vast  literature;  in  Burma, 
Siam,  and  other  Buddhist  countries,  the  Tripitaka;  in  Persia,  the 
Zend  Avesta  of  the  Zoroastrians;  in  Turkey,  the  Koran  of  the 
Mohammedans.  A  study  of  the  dreary  wastes  of  these  "Bibles" 
leaves  one  with  a  most  grateful  sense  of  the  unapproached  and 
unique  character  of  our  inspired  Scriptures. 

Five-Minute  Essay:  How  far  have  these  so-called  "Bibles"  been 
responsible  for  the  deplorable  condition  of  the  countries  that 
hold  to  them? 

Research:     The  opinion  of  great  men  regarding  the  Bible. 

Discussion:     What  has  the  Bible  done  for  the  Protestant  nations? 

III.  The  name,  Bible,  comes  from  the  Greek,  biblia,  meaning 
"books,"  which  came  from  biblos,  the  name  of  the  papyrus  reed 
whose  fibers  made  the  leaves  of  ancient  books.  (Our  word  "paper"- 
is  derived  from  papyrus.)  Biblia,  the  Greek  plural,  came  to  be  used 
as  a  Latin  singular,  and  so  "the  Bible"  means  "the  Book." 

Discussion:     Is  the  name  appropriate?     why? 

IV.  Bible  names  for  the  Bible  are  "the  word  of  God"  (Eph. 
6:17),  "the  oracles  of  God"   (Rom.  3:2),  "the  scriptures"— that  is. 


*  Note. — Lessons  I  to  VI  inclusive  give  suggestions  for  study,  and  for 
blackboard  work  with  questions  for  review  and  examinations.  In  order  to 
economize  space  these  suggestions  and  questions  are  omitted  from  the  other 
lessons.  They  are  given  here  to  show  the  teacher  and  the  student  what  may 
be    done.    The    class    teacher    is    urged    to    suggest    similar    exercises    for    the 

3 


TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


the   writings    (John   5:39),   "the  holy  scriptures"    (II  Tim.   3:15), 
"the  law,  the  prophets,  and  the  psalms"  (Luke  24:44),  "the  book  of 
the  law"   (Josh,  1:8).     "Holy  Writ"  is  a  term  often  applied  to  the 
Bible. 
Discussion:     What  different  aspect  of  the  Bible  does  each  of  these 

names  bring  out? 
Blackboard:     A  vertical  list  of  these  names,  each  followed  by  a 

brief  statement  of  its  significance. 
Research:     The    Bible's    account    of    itself,    as    shown    in    such 
passages  as  Psalm  119. 

V.  Many,  yet  one.  The  Bible  is,  as  Jerome  called  it,  "the  divine 
library,"  a  collection  of  books  rather  than  one  book,  the  literature  of 
the  Hebrew  race.  It  was  written  by  about  forty  different  authors, 
extending  from  Moses  to  John  through  sixteen  centuries.  The  writers 
were  of  many  occupations, — kings,  prophets,  priests,  fishermen, 
a  farmer,  a  tax-collector,  a  tent-maker,  a  governor,  etc.  The  books 
were  written  in  Rome,  Greece,  Asia  Minor,  Palestine,  Babylonia. 
Some  are  written  in  Hebrew,  some  in  Greek.  There  is  a  wide  range 
of  theme  and  manner.  Yet,  notwithstanding  this  diversity,  the 
books  are  bound  together  into  a  wonderful  unity  by  their  common 
ideals  and  by  the  thought  of  Christ  that  runs  through  them  all. 

Discussion:     What  is  the  bearing  of  these  facts  on  the  inspiration 
of  the  Bible? 

VI.  Divisions.  The  Bible  is  divided  into  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments.  St.  Paul  used  these  terms  in  II  Cor.  3 : 6,  14.  The 
word  Paul  used  was  translated  by  the  Latin  word  testamentum 
(will),  whence  our  Testament;  but  the  word  "covenant"  is  a  better 
translation. 

Discussion:    Why  is  "Covenant"  a  better  name  than  "Testament"? 
What  was  the  Old  Covenant?  the  New? 

VII.  The  number  of  books  in  the  English  Bible  is  sixty-six,  but 
originally  several  of  these,  such  as  Samuel  and  Kings,  were  joined 
together.  In  the  Old  Testament  there  are  thirty-nine  books  and  in 
the  New  Testament  twenty-seven. 


pupils,  varying  tliem  from  time  to  time  in  order  to  prevent  that  monotony 
which  has  caused  the  failure  of  numberless  attempts  at  teaching-training. 
Where  students  have  not  the  help  of  a  class  teacher,  they  should  make  up 
for  themselves,  in  connection  with  their  study  of  the  other  lessons,  exercises 
such  as  are  suggested  in  this  series  of  lessons. 


SIX  LESSONS  ON  THE  BOOK 


Blackboard: 

Old  Testament=39  books. 

3  letters,  9  letters. 

New  Testament=27  books. 

3x9. 
VIII.  The  Canon  of  Scripture  Is  the  list  of  books  properly  in  the 
Bible,  as  distinguished  from  the  apocryphal,  or  spurious,  books, 
The  canon  of  the  Old  Testament  was  largely  determined  by  Ezra, 
the  Great  Synagogue,  and  Nehemiah.  As  nearly  all  the  books  of  the 
Old  Testament  are  quoted  in  the  New  Testament,  the  Old  Testament 
canon  must  have  been  established  by  the  time  of  Christ.  The  canon 
of  the  New  Testament  was  gradually  fixed  by  the  agreement  of 
Christian  readers,  and  was  authoritatively  settled  by  the  Council  of 
Carthage,  A.  D.  397.  The  apocryphal  writings  are  in  every  way 
inferior  to  the  canonical  books,  and  are  evidently  uninspired. 
Discussion:     What  books  might  seem,  at  first  sight,  less  needed 

in  the  Bible?     Why  are  they  needed? 

QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW 

(Suggestion:     The  leader  may  appoint  some  member  of  the  class 
to  question  the  others.) 
Define  the  Bible. 

Name  the  so-called  "Bibles"  of  other  religions. 
What  is  the  origin  of  the  word  "Bible"? 
What  are  some  of  the  Bible  names  for  the  Bible? 
About  how  many  persons  wrote  the  books  of  the  Bible? 
What  were  some  of  their  occupations? 
In  what  countries  were  the  books  written? 
In  what  languages  were  they  written? 
Through  how  many  centuries  did  the  writing  extend? 
What  unites  these  many  books  into  one  ? 
What  are  the  main  divisions  of  the  Bible? 
Explain  the  origin  of  the  word  "Testament." 
What  would  be  a  better  translation? 
How    many    books    in    the    Bible?    in    the    Old    Testament?    the 

New?     How  may  we  remember  these  numbers? 
What  is  the  canon  of  Scripture?  the  Apocrypha? 
How  was  the  Old  Testament  canon  settled?  the  New  Testament 

canon  ? 
Why  are  the  apocryphal  books  omitted  from  the  canon? 


TEACHER-TRAINING  COURSE 


LESSON  II 

THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 

I.  TLe  language  of  the  Old  Testament  is  Hebrew,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Dan.  2:  4  to  7:  28;  Ezra  4:  8  to  6:  18;  7:  12-26;  Jer.  10:  11, 
which  are  written  in  Aramaic,  the  language  of  Aram,  the  country 
between  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris.  Hebrew  is  one  of  the 
Semitic  group  of  languages,  to  which  belong  Arabic,  Syriac,  and 
Ethiopic. 

Research:     Why  were  those  passages  written  in  Aramaic? 

What  are  some  of  the  characteristics  of  the  Hebrew  language? 

II.  The  Jewish  division  of  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament  is 
threefold:  (i)  the  Law — the  five  books  of  Moses;  (2)  the  Prophets 
— ^Joshua,  Judges,  Ruth,  Kings,  Samuel,  the  Major  Prophets  (ex- 
cept Daniel),  the  Minor  Prophets;  (3)  the  Writings  or  Hagiographa 
(sometimes  called  "the  Psalms") — Psalms,  Job,  Proverbs,  Ecclesi- 
astes.  Song  of  Solomon,  Lamentations,  Daniel,  Esther,  Ezra, 
Nehemiah,  and  Chronicles. 

Discussion:     What  is  the  significance  of  this  division? 

III.  A  logical  division  of  the  Old  Testament  books  is  three- 
fold: (I)  Historical,  (2)  Poetical,  (3)  Prophetical.  The  Historical 
may  be  subdivided  into  the  Pentateuch  (the  first  five  books),  and 
the  other  histories.  The  Prophetical  may  be  subdivided  into  the 
Major  and  Minor  Prophets. 

Blackboard:  Draw  a  six-pointed  star.  Print  the  letters  O-L-D 
en  the  upper  points  and  N-E-W  on  the  lower  points.  In 
another  color,  print  on  the  upper  points  the  contractions  H., 
Po.,  Pr.  (Historical,  Poetical,  Prophetical).  Some  represent 
these  divisions  by  the  five  fingers  of  the  hand,  but  they  are 
obliged  to  consider  as  major  divisions  the  Pentateuch  and  the 
two  subdivisions  of  the  prophets,  which  is  incorrect. 

IV.  The  Historical  Books  are  seventeen:  (i)  the  Pentateuch- 
Genesis,  Exodus,  Leviticus,  Numbers,  Deuteronomy;  (2)  the  other 
historical  writings — Joshua,  Judges,  Ruth,  First  and  Second  Samuel, 
First  and  Second  Kings,  First  and  Second  Chronicles,  Ezra, 
Nehemiah,  Esther. 

Exercise:  Break  up  the  second  division  into  three  subgroups, 
relating  to  the  judges,  the  kings,  and  th^  qxile. 


SIX    LESSONS    ON    THE   BOOK 


Mnemonic:     The  initials  of  the  Pentateuch  books  are  Ge-l(a)nd. 

Ge  is  the   Greek  root   for   land,  as   in   ge-ography,   ge-ology. 

Note  also  that  the  other  books  follow  in  chronological  order. 
Research:     See  the  Dictionary  for  the  etymology  of  Pentateuch. 

Sometimes  Joshua  is  added  to  make  the  Hexateuch. 
Discussion:     What  pieces   of  poetry  are   found   in  these  books? 

(See  the   Revised  Version,  in  which  the  poetical  parts  are 

printed  as  poetry.)     What  elements  of  prophecy  are  mingled 

with  these  books? 

V.  The  Poetical  Books  are  six :  Job,  Psalms,  Proverbs,  Ecclesi- 
astes,  Solomon's  Song,  Lamentations.  No  single  term  properly  in- 
cludes these  six  books,  as  Proverbs  and  Ecclesiastes  belong  rather 
to  the  "Wisdom"  literature  of  the  Bible.  Job  is  dramatic,  the 
Psalms  and  Lamentations  are  lyric,  Solomon's  Song  is  idyllic. 

Blackboard:     The   initials   of  these  books   are  to  be  written    (in 
still  another  color)   in  the  proper  point  of  the  star. 

VI.  The  Prophetical  Books  are  sixteen:  (i)  the  four  Major 
Prophets — Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel,  Daniel;  (2)  the  twelve  Minor 
Prophets — Hosea,  Joel,  Amos,  Obadiah,  Jonah,  Micah,  Nahum, 
Habakkuk,  Zephaniah,  Haggai,  Zechariah,  Malachi. 

Discussion:     What    poetical    elements    enter    into    these    books? 

What  admixture  is  there  of  the  historical  element? 
Mnemonic:     The  Major  Prophets  are  arranged  in  chronological 
order.     Remember  the  order  of  the  Minor  Prophets  by  their 
first  syllables,  joined  in  the  sing-song  words: 
Ho-jo-a'-mos, 
Ob-jo-mi'-na, 
Ha-ze-ha'-ze-ma. 
Research:     Are   the    Minor    Prophets    arranged    in    chronological 
order? 

VII.  The  Old  Testament  Apocrypha  consists  of  the  Book  of 
Baruch  and  Epistle  of  Jeremiah ;  the  Prayer  of  Manasses  (the  re- 
pentant king) ;  three  additions  to  Daniel — the  Song  of  the  Three 
Children,  Susanna  and  the  Elders,  Bel  and  the  Dragon;  First  and 
Second  Esdras  (additions  to  Ezra  and  Nehemiah)  ;  Tobit,  and  Judith 
(two  romances) ;  the  Wisdom  of  Solomon,  and  Ecclesiasticus  (two 
proverbial  books)  ;  two  books  of  the  Maccabees  (leaders  in  the 
Hebrew  struggle  for  independence  in  the  second  century  before 
Christ).    These  books  have  come  to  us  in  Greek,  though  some  had 


8  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

Hebrew  originals.     They  are  of  varying  worth  and  interest,  but  all 
are  manifestly  uninspired. 

Essay:  Why  the  Old  Testament  apocrypha  is  excluded  from  the 
canon. 

VIII.  Useful  Drills.  Name  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament. 
Name  them  backward.  Test  your  ability  to  turn  readily  to  the  less- 
known  books.  "Bound"  various  books,  naming  the  division  in  which 
the  book  is  found,  and  the  books  immediately  before  and  after  it. 
The  class  may  draw  slips  of  paper  each  containing  the  name  of 
a  book  which  must  be  "bounded"  thus.  Wooden  strips  on  which 
are  printed  the  names  of  the  books  may  be  hung  from  hooks  in  a 
horizontal  row,  and  the  scholars  drilled  to  hang  them  rapidly  in  the 
proper  order. 

Give  out  for  spelling  the  less  familiar  names — Haggai,  Habakkuk, 
ecc. 

Spell  the  names  liable  to  mispronunciation  and  have  them  pro- 
nounced— Zechariah,  Isaiah,  Habakkuk,  etc. 

Let  the  class  dictate  the  contractions  of  the  names  of  the  books, 
as  you  write  them  on  the  blackboard. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  REVIEW 

Suggestion:  The  leader  may  write  these  questions  on  slips  of 
paper,  which  will  be  drawn  by  the  scholars,  and  answered  in  any 
©rder. 

In  what  languages   was   the   Old   Testament  written?    To   what 

group  of  languages  does  Hebrew  belong? 
What  is  Aramaic? 
What  is  the  Jewish  division  of  Old  Testament  books?    What  is 

a  more  logical  division? 
Name  the  historical  books  of  the  Old  Testament;   the  poetical; 

the  prophetical. 
Show  how  historical,   poetical,   and  prophetical   elements   mingle 

throughout  the  Old  Testament. 
What  are  well-marked  subdivisions  of  the  historical  books?  of  the 

prophetical  books? 
Of  the  poetical  books,  which  two  are  "Wisdom"  books?    which 

are  lyric?  which  is  an  idyll?  which  is  dramatic? 
What  does  the  Old  Testament  apocrypha  contain?     In  what  lan- 
guage has  it  come  to  us?    What  is  its  general  character? 


SIX    LESSONS    ON    THE   BOOK 


LESSON  III 

THE   NEW   TESTAMENT 

I.  The  New  Testament  (see  Lesson  I)  is  more  exactly  called 
"The  New  Covenant."  Sometimes  this  part  of  the  Bible  is  simply 
called  "The  Testament."  The  books  of  the  New  Testament  were 
written  during  the  half  century  from  A.  D.  52,  or  even  earlier, 
to  about  A.  D.  96.  Four  of  the  writers  were  apostles,  two  were 
companions  of  the  apostles,  two  were  our  Lord's  brothers  and 
probably  not  apostles.  One  purpose  unites  all  the  books — to  set 
forth  the  character  and  teachings  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of 
the  world. 

Research:  Arrange  the  books  according  to  their  authors;  accord- 
ing to  the  places  where  they  were  written. 

Discussion:  The  size  of  the  New  Testament  as  compared  with 
the  Old  Testament.  The  connection  between  the  two.  Their 
comparative  influence  in  modern  life. 

II.  The  language  of  the  New  Testament  is  Greek.  It  is  not  the 
classical  Greek,  however,  but  "Hellenistic,"  a  Judaeo-Greek  lan- 
guage that  has  been  called  "Hebrew  thought  in  Greek  clothing." 
The  Gospel  of  Matthew  may  have  been  written  originally  in 
Hebrew. 

Research:     How  the  Hebrews  came  to  use  the  Greek  language. 
Essay:     The    principal    differences    between    classical    and    New 

Testament  Greek. 
Discussion:     How   was   it  providential  that  the   New  Testament 

was  written  in  Greek? 

III.  The  divisions  of  the  twenty-seven  books  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment are  three:  (i)  Historical,  (2)  Doctrinal,  (3)  Prophetical. 
The  Historical  may  be  subdivided  into  the  four  biographical  books 
and  The  Acts;  the  Doctrinal,  into  the  Pauline  Epistles  and  the 
Epistles  written  by  others. 

Blackboard:  Using  these  subdivisions  as  main  divisions,  we 
have  five  divisions,  which  some  represent  by  the  fingers  of 
the  hand.  The  three-fold  division,  however,  is  more  logical, 
and  may  be  represented  by  the  lower  half  of  the  six-pointed 
star  drawn  in  the  previous  lesson.  Print  on  the  points  the 
initials  H.,  D.,  and  Pr. 


10  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


Discussion:  Show  how,  to  some  extent,  the  historical,  doctrinal, 
and  prophetical  elements  appear  in  each  of  the  three  di- 
visions. 

IV.  The  Historical  Books  are  five:  (i)  the  four  lives  of  Christ, 
written  by  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John;  and  (2)  The  Acts,  the 
history  of  the  early  church.  The  four  biographies  are  often  called 
the  Gospels.  John's  is  called  "the  Fourth  Gospel,"  and  the  others 
are  "the  synoptic  Gospels,"  so  called  because  of  their  general 
similarity,  while  John's  Gospel  was  written  later  and  supplements 
the  first  three.  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John,  are  called  "the 
four  evangelists."     Luke  wrote  also  The  Acts. 

Research :  See  the  Dictionary  for  the  origin  of  the  words  "synop- 
tic," "gospel,"  and  "evangelist." 

Essay:  How  account  for  the  many  exactly  parallel  passages  in 
the  synoptic  Gospels? 

V.  The  Doctrinal  Books  are  twenty-one:  (i)  the  Pauline  Epis- 
tles— Romans,  First  and  Second  Corinthians,  Galatians,  Ephesians, 
Philippians,  Colossians,  First  and  Second  Thessalonians,  First  and 
Second  Timothy,  Titus,  Philemon,  Hebrews;  (2)  the  Epistles  by 
others  than  Paul — James,  First  and  Second  Peter,  First,  Second, 
and  Third  John,  Jude.  These  last  are  sometimes  called  the  Gen- 
eral or  Catholic  Epistles,  because  all  but  Second  and  Third  John 
were  written  for  the  church  at  large,  and  not  to  persons  or  to 
individual  churches.  The  letter  to  the  Hebrews  is  anonymous, 
but  it  is  Pauline  in  thought  and  in  much  of  its  language. 

Mnemonic:  Remember  the  order  of  Galatians,  Ephesians,  Philip- 
pians, Colossians  by  the  vowel  order,  a,  e,  i,  o. 

Exercises:  Arrange  Paul's  letters  according  to  the  order  of 
writing.  Which  were  written  to  persons?  which  to  churches? 
Which  are  the  "prison  Epistles"?  What  three  are  called  the 
"pastoral  Epistles,"  and  why? 

VI.  The  Prophetical  Book  is  The  Revelation  {not  "Revela- 
tions"), written  by  St.  John.  It  is  sometimes  called  the  Apocalypse 
— a  word  of  Greek  origin,  meaning  "disclosure"  or  "revelation." 
The  apocalyptic  book  of  the  Old  Testament  is  Daniel,  and  the 
two  books  are  closely  related. 

VII.  The  New  Testament  Apocrypha  consisted  of  such  books 
as  the  Epistle  of  Clement,  the  Epistle  of  Barnabas,  and  the  Shepherd 


SIX   LESSONS  ON  THE  BOOK  11 

of  Hermas,  together  with  apocryphal  Gospels  (like  the  recently 
discovered  Gospel  of  Peter),  and  apocryphal  Acts,  Epistles,  and 
Apocalypses.  These  were  written  later  than  the  New  Testament, 
and  were  compiled  from  it,  or  fanciful  additions  to  it,  chiefly  writ- 
ten to  bolster  up  heresies.  The  miracles  they  describe  are  fantastic, 
their  accounts  of  the  childhood  of  Christ  are  absurd,  and  in  every 
way  they  are  unworthy  of  a  place  in  the  Bible.  Most  of  them  have 
come  down  to  us  only  in  name  or  in  a  few  fragments.  By  contrast, 
they  afford  the  strongest  possible  testimony  to  the  authenticity 
of  the  New  Testament. 

VIII.  Useful  Drills.  Exercises  in  naming  the  books  of  the 
New  Testament,  "bounding"  them,  in  spelling,  pronunciation,  and 
contractions.     See  Section  VIII  of  the  preceding  Lesson. 

QUESTIONS   FOR  REVIEW 

Suggestion:  The  leader  may  conduct  this  review  as  a  written 
examination,  dictating  the  questions  to  the  class  and  pausing 
for  them  to  write  their  answers. 

How  did  the  name,  "New  Testatment,"  originate?  What  is  a 
better  translation? 

When  was  the  New  Testament  written?  by  whom?  for  what 
purpose? 

What  is  the  New  Testament  language?  In  what  language  may 
Matthew  have  been  written  originally? 

Name  the  three  divisions  of  New  Testament  books.  Make  sub- 
divisions. 

Name  the  Historical  books.  What  are  the  synoptic  Gospels? 
What  name  is  sometimes  given  to  the  writers  of  the  Gospels? 

Name  the  Doctrinal  books,  placing  them  in  subdivisions.  Which 
of  the  "General  Epistles"  are  not  general?  Which  Epistle 
is  anonymous?  Which  are  the  "prison  Epistles"?  the  "pas- 
toral Epistles"? 

What  is  the  prophetical  book  of  the  New  Testament?  What 
other  name  is  given  to  it?  With  what  Old  Testament  book 
is  it  most  closely  connected? 

Name  some  of  the  New  Testament  apocryphal  writings.  Why 
were  they  excluded  from  the  canon? 


12  TEACHER-TRAINING  COURSE 


LESSON  IV 

HOW    GOD'S    REVELATION    WAS    WRITTEN    AND    PRE- 
SERVED 

I.  The  Old  Testament  was  written  with  ink  on  rolls  of  skin  or 
parchment,  and  anciently  in  a  script  that  differed  from  the  modern 
square  characters  of  the  Hebrew.  Only  the  consonants  were  writ- 
ten, the  vowels  being  supplied  by  the  reader.  Several  of  the  letters 
were  very  much  alike,  and  there  was  no  system  of  punctuation 
or  clear  spacing  between  words.  The  traditional  pronunciation 
was  embodied  in  vowel  signs  above,  below,  and  within  the  letters, 
inserted  during  the  sixth  or  seventh  century  after  Christ  by  scribes 
known  as  Massoretes   ("masters  of  the  tradition"). 

II.  The   oldest    extant   manuscripts    of    the    Old    Testament 

are  of  the  ninth  century  after  Christ.  The  loss  of  earlier  manu- 
scripts is  largely  due  to  the  Jewish  custom  of  destroying  or  bury- 
ing worn-out  manuscripts.  We  are  brought  nearer  the  ancient 
texts  by  two  means:  (i)  When  the  Hebrews  (perhaps  during  the 
exile)  adopted  Aramaic  as  their  common  speech,  Bible  Hebrew 
became  largely  unintelligible,  and  interpretations  of  it,  called 
Targums,  were  prepared,  first  oral  and  then  written,  (2)  Transla- 
tions or  Versions  of  the  Old  Testament  also  help  to  show  the 
ancient  text.  The  oldest  is  the  Septuagint  translation  into  Greek, 
begun  at  Alexandria  under  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  285-247  B.  C. 
The  Septuagint  (Greek  "seventy")  takes  its  name  from  the  legend 
that  seventy  (or  seventy-two)  Jewish  scholars  were  shut  up  in 
separate  cells,  from  which  in  time  they  emerged  each  with  a 
translation,  all  the  translations  being  precisely  the  same !  Other  an- 
cient versions  are  the  Syriac  of  the  first  or  second  century,  and 
Jerome's  Latin  translation  (the  Vulgate),  about  A.  D.  400. 

III.  The  New  Testament  was  written  first,  probably,  on  rolls 
of  papyrus,  an  imperfect  paper  made  of  the  pith  of  the  papyrus 
reed  (Moses'  bulrush).  Very  early  in  the  Christian  era,  however, 
the  supply  of  papyrus  failed,  and  the  skins  of  young  calves  (vellum) 
or  sheep  and  goats  (parchment)  were  used.  Coarse  paper  from 
cotton  rags  was  introduced  in  the  ninth  century,  and  linen  paper 
in   the   twelfth,   just   before   the   invention    of  printing.     The   ink 


SIX   LESSONS   ON   THE  BOOK  13 

was  soot  or  lampblack  mixed  with  wine-lees  or  gum.  The  pen 
was  a  reed  or  a  metal  stylus.  It  was  the  custom  for  authors  to 
dictate  to  amanuenses  (as  Paul,  we  know,  did),  and  copies  were 
made  by  hand  at  little  expense,  slave  labor  being  used.  Later,  the 
Christian  scribes  in  the  monasteries  were  most  painstaking  and 
accurate  transcribers.  Finally,  in  1456,  came  Gutenberg's  Latin 
Bible,  the  first  printed  book. 

IV.  Uncials  are  the  most  ancient  manuscripts  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament. They  are  so  called  from  the  Latin  uncia,  an  inch,  the 
letters  being  sometimes  an  inch  long.  They  are  all  Greek  capitals, 
of  small  size,  with  no  break  between  "the  words  or  sentences,  so 
that  the  lines  look  like  one  long  word.  The  lines  are  of  even 
length,  no  matter  where  the  words  are  divided.  It  was  very  grad- 
ually that  the  simplest  punctuation  points  were  introduced,  and  the 
large  initials  at  the  beginning  of  sections,  which  in  later  centuries 
were  so  elaborately  "illuminated."  The  early  chapter-divisions, 
when  there  were  any  at  all,  were  much  shorter  than  ours,  and  were 
usually  merely  marked  in  the  margins.  Some  manuscripts  were 
written  "stichometrically,"  each  line  containing  one  word  or  very 
few  words,  the  columns  being  narrow,  and  several  on  a  page.  All 
of  the  manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament  that  have  been  preserved 
are  books  (Latin,  codex),  and  not  rolls  (Latin,  volumina). 

Blackboard:  Print,  in  inch-long  letters,  some  passage  of  the 
English  New  Testament  in  the  fashion  of  these  ancient  Greek 
documents : — 

ANDWHENTHEYLOOKEDTHEYS 
AWTHATTHESTONEWASROLLE 
DAWAYFORITWASVERYGREAT 
Also  stichometrically  (Acts  7:2): — 

ANDHESAID 

BRETHREN 

ANDFATHERS 

HEARKEN 

V.  The  number  of  uncials  discovered  is  about  120,  but  only 
one  of  these  contains  the  entire  New  Testament.  Some  are  mere 
fragments,  one  containing  only  six  leaves.  Each  separate  docu- 
ment is  called  a  codex,  and  is  distinguished  by  a  letter  or  number 
and  often  by  a  descriptive  name. 


14  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

VL  Palimpsests  are  manuscripts  from  which  the  vegetable  ink 
of  those  early  days  has  been  scraped  or  washed  ofif,  and  the  costly 
vellum  used  again  for  other  writings.     Sometimes  this   happened 
twice.     Occasionally  the   older  writing  grew  strong  again,   or  by 
chemical  preparations  it  can  be  rendered  legible,  thus  giving  the 
scholar  the  task  of  deciphering  two  and  sometimes  three  sets  of 
writings,  one  above  the  other — a  work  of  enormous  dif^culty. 
Exercises:     See  the  dictionary  for  the  etymology  of  "palimpsest." 
Have  each  member  of  the  class  write  a  sentence  and  then 
another  sentence  over  it,  passing  the  document  to  his  neigh- 
bor  to    decipher.     Write    a   passage    in    invisible    ink    (lemon 
juice),  and  above  it  a  passage  in  black  ink.    Warm  the  paper 
before  the  class,  thus  exhibiting  the  double  writing. 

VII.  The  most  ancient  uncials  are  three:  (i)  Codex  A,  the 
Alexandrine  manuscript,  in  the  British  Museum.  It  came  from 
Egypt,  and  was  written  about  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century.  At 
the  close  is  added  the  only  known  copy  of  the  earliest  of  the 
Apostolic  Fathers,  the  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  written  by 
Clement  of  Rome.  This  was  the  first  manuscript  critically  used 
to  determine  the  true  text  of  the  New  Testament.  (2)  Codex  B, 
the  Vatican  manuscript,  is  jealously  guarded  in  the  Vatican  library. 
It  was  written  in  the  fourth  century,  perhaps  as  early  as  A.  D.  325. 
It  contains  the  Septuagint  (the  Greek  translation  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment), and  most  of  the  New  Testament.  The  Epistles  of  Paul  are 
written  as  one  continuous  book.  (3)  Codex  X  (Aleph,  the  first 
letter  of  the  Hebrew  alphabet),  the  Sinaitic  manuscript,  in  the 
Imperial  Library  at  St,  Petersburg.  (Note  that  these  three  chief 
manuscripts  belong  to  the  three  great  divisions  of  Christendom — 
Protestant,  Roman,  and  Greek.)  The  Sinaitic  manuscript  belongs 
to  the  fourth  century.  It  was  discovered  in  a  most  romantic  way, 
by  the  great  German  scholar  Tischendorf,  in  the  convent  of  St, 
Catharine  on  Mount  Sinai.  The  ignorant  monks  were  on  the  point 
of  using  the  priceless  document  to  kindle  fires.  It  contains  a  part 
of  the  Septuagint,  all  the  New  Testament  (being  the  only  complete 
uncial),  and  adds  the  Epistle  of  Barnabas  and  the  Shepherd  of 
Hermas. 

Research:  Learn  about  Codex  D  (at  Cambridge,  England),  and 
Codex  ^  (Sigma,  the  Greek  S),  found  in  a  most  interesting 
way  at  Rosanna,  Italy, 


SIX  LESSONS   ON  THE  BOOK  IS 


Essay:    The  remarkable  lives  and  labors  of  the  three  great  bibli- 
cal scholars,  Lachmann,  Tischendorf,  and  Tregelles. 

VIII.  What  has  become  of  the  originals  and  earlier  copies  of 
the  New  Testament?  They  were  doubtless  written  on  papyrus, 
a  fragile  material  that  soon  wore  away.  Besides,  during  the  great 
persecutions  the  most  bitter  zeal  was  manifested  in  the  destruction 
of  all  Christian  books.  Even  as  it  is,  however,  our  New  Testament 
documents  far  exceed  in  antiquity  and  number  those  of  the  Greek 
an.d  Roman  Classics. 

IX.  Cursives  (Latin,  curro,  run)  is  the  name  given  to  the  later 
manuscripts.  About  the  beginning  of  the  tenth  century  a  more 
rapid  running  hand  was  used  by  the  monks  in  copying,  the  letters 
being  smaller,  slanted,  and  often  connected.  There  are  about  2,400 
cursives,  but  they  are  of  less  value  than  the  uncials  on  account  of 
their  more  recent  origin. 

X.  "Varied  readings"  are  the  variations  in  the  text  discovered 
by  a  study  of  these  ancient  manuscripts.  They  number,  perhaps, 
120,000,  but  the  vast  majority  of  them  are  unimportant,  consisting 
of  variations  in  single  letters;  very  few  affect  the  sense,  and  still 
fewer  have  any  relation  to  the  doctrines  of  the  New  Testament. 

XI.  Early  translations  of  the  New  Testament  (called  "ver- 
sions") are  very  valuable  in  determining  the  text.  The  old  Latin 
version,  made  in  North  Africa  (Carthage)  in  the  second  century, 
is  older  than  the  oldest  uncial.  The  Vulgate  (or  "Common" 
Bible),  the  Latin  translation  still  used  by  the  Church  of  Rome, 
was  made  by  Jerome  in  the  fourth  century.  The  Peshito  ("Simple" 
or  "Clear")  version  is  in  Syriac,  and  may  have  been  made  in 
the  second  century.  Still  more  ancient  Syriac  versions  come  closest 
of  all  to  the  actual  speech  of  our  Lord;  one  of  the  oldest  of  these 
was  discovered  in  palimpsest  on  Mount  Sinai  by  Mrs.  Agnes  S. 
Lewis,  in  1892.  The  ^thiopic  version  was  made,  in  the  fourth 
century,  for  the  newly  formed  Christian  church  of  Abyssinia.  The 
Memphitic  and  Thebaic  versions  were  made  for  the  Christians  of 
ancient  Memphis  and  Thebes  in  Egypt.  Other  translations  were 
made  into  Gothic,  Anglo-Saxon,  Persian,  Arabic. 

XII.  The  Christian  writers  of  the  early  centuries  quote  often 
from  the  New  Testament,  and  thus  afford  us  conclusive  evidence 
for    its    authenticity.     Among    these    are    Irenseus     (A.    D.    177), 


1 6  TEACHER-TRAINING  COURSE 


Clement  (born  about  A.  D.  i6o),  Justin  Martyr  (born  about  A.  D. 
lOo),  Polycarp  (disciple  of  St.  John),  and  the  authors  of  such 
ancient  documents  as  the  so-called  "Epistle  of  Barnabas"  (A.  D. 
120)  and  "the  Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles"  (A.  D.  140  or 
earlier). 

QUESTIONS   FOR  REVIEW 

Suggestion:     The    leader    may    divide    the    class    into    two    parts, 

a  question  to  be  proposed  by  each  half  in  turn,  and  answered 

by  the  other  half. 
Describe  the  ancient  Hebrew  manuscripts. 
What  did  the  Massoretes  do  for  the  Old  Testament? 
How  old  are  the  oldest  manuscripts  of  the  Old  Testament? 
What  are  the  Targums?     What  is  the  Septuagint?     What  is  the 

Vulgate? 
Describe  the  ancient  manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament. 
What  are  uncials?     What  is  stichometrical  writing?    What  is  a 

codex? 
What  is  a  palimpsest? 

Name  the  three  most  ancient  uncials,  and  describe  them. 
What  has  become  of  the  first  New  Testament  manuscripts? 
Compare  the  New  Testament  with  the  manuscripts  of  Greek  and 

Latin  classics. 
What  are  cursives? 

What  are  varied  readings?     Their  number  and  importance? 
Name  the  earliest  versions  of  the  Bible.     Why  are  they  valuable? 
How  far  back  may  the  New  Testament  be  traced  by  quotations 

in  the  writings  of  the  Apostolic  Fathers? 

LESSON  V 
THE   STORY   OF   THE   ENGLISH   BIBLE 

I.  Anglo-Saxon  Translations.  Like  Luther's  Bible  to  Ger- 
many, our  English  Bible  has  been  to  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  the 
fountain  head  of  its  language  and  literature.  The  people  of  Eng- 
land, however,  were  Christian  for  centuries  before  they  possessed 
the  Bible  in  their  own  language.  The  first  attempt  at  translation 
was  rather  a  poetical  paraphrase,  and  was  made  about  A.  D.  680 
by  Caedmon,  the  poor  Saxon  cowherd,  whose  beautiful  gift  came, 
as  he  thought,  in  response  to  a  celestial  dream.     Prose  translations 


SIX   LESSONS  ON  THE  BOOK  \^ 

of  portions  of  Scripture  followed,  the  most  famous  being  the  work 
of  the  Venerable  Bede,  who  died  in  A.  D.  735,  just  as  he  was 
finishing  his  version  of  the  Gospel  of  John.  King  Alfred  himself 
was  among  these  translators. 

Essay:  The  influence  of  the  Bible  on  the  great  English  writers 
(Shakespeare,  Milton,  Browning,  Tennyson,  Ruskin). 

Research:     The  character  of  Caedmon's  poems. 

II.  Wyclif  s  Translations.  John  Wyclif,  "the  Morning  Star 
of.  the  Reformation,"  "the  Evangelical  Doctor,"  was  also  the 
first  translator  of  the  Bible  into  English.  His  struggles  against  the 
Church  of  Rome  led  him  to  see  the  need  of  the  Bible  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  people,  if  any  reform  was  to  be  accomplished,  and 
by  the  middle  of  1382  he,  with  the  aid  of  Nicholas  de  Hereford, 
had  completed  the  first  English  Bible — 150  years  before  Luther. 
Wyclif's  Bible,  and  John  Purvey's  revision  that  followed,  were 
tianslations  of  a  translation,  being  derived,  not  from  the  Greek, 
but  from  Jerome's  Vulgate;  but  the  diction  was  nobly  clear  and 
forcible,  and  the  common  people  read  the  book  gladly. 

Blackboard :     A  specimen  of  Wyclif's  translation. 
Essay:     The  persecution  of  Wyclif,  and  how  he  met  it. 

III.  Tyndale's  Version.  During  the  century  following  Wyclif, 
printing  was  invented,  Erasmus  issued  (1516)  the  first  edition  of 
the  Greek  New  Testament,  the  Hebrew  Bible  was  first  printed 
(1488),  and  in  1520  came  the  "Complutensian  Polyglot"— the  Bible 
in  the  original  languages,  with  grammars  and  vocabulary.  All 
these  aids  were  used  by  William  Tyndale,  whose  passion  for  Bible- 
translation  caused  his  exile  from  England  and  his  martyrdom  in 
1536.  He  succeeded  in  translating  into  English  a  large  part  of 
the  Bible,  sending  out  in  1525  the  first  printed  New  Testament 
in  English,  and  in  1530  the  Pentateuch.  His  translation  was  inde- 
pendent of  Wyclif's,  and  became  the  father  of  all  later  versions, 
even  the  Victorian  Revision  going  back  to  many  of  his  translations. 

Essay:     Tyndale's  heroic  life. 

Blackboard:     A  specimen  of  Tyndale's  translation. 
Research:     What  our  Bible  owes  to  Erasmus.     The  first  printed 
Bibles. 

IV.  Coverdale.  Matthews.  Taverner.  One  of  Tyndale's 
friends,  Miles  Coverdale,  also  an  exile,  published  in  1535  the  first 


l8  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


complete  English  Bible.  This  version  was  based  on  "Luther,  the 
Vulgate,  and  Tyndale,  rather  than  on  the  Greek  and  Hebrew. 
In  1537  there  was  issued  from  Holland  an  English  translation  of  the 
Bible  by  "Thomas  Matthew,"  who  was  probably  John  Rogers, 
the  first  martyr  in  the  reign  of  "Bloody  Mary."  Matthew's  Bible 
is  a  compound  of  Tyndale's  and  Coverdale's  works,  with  useful  notes 
and  chapter  headings.  The  first  English  concordance  was  based 
upon  it,  made  by  Warbeck  and  published  in  1550.  Matthew's 
Bible  was  published  with  the  permission  of  Henry  VHI,  and  was 
therefore  the  first  authorized  version.  It  was  revised  (1539)  by 
Richard  Taverner,  who  made  some  of  the  renderings  more  pointed. 

Research:  Luther's  translation  of  the  Bible,  and  what  Germany 
owes  to  it. 

Discussion:  The  value  of  chapter  headings  in  the  Bible.  The 
wise  use  of  concordances. 

Essay:     The  martyrdom  of  John  Rogers. 

V.  The  Great  Bible  (so-called  because  it  was  a  large  folio)  was 
published  in  1539.  It  was  edited  by  Coverdale,  on  the  request 
of  Henry  VIII's  great  minister,  Thomas  Cromwxll.  It  is  a  careful 
revision  of  Matthew's  Bible,  and  its  melodious  version  of  the 
Psalms  is  the  one  still  used  in  the  English  Prayer  Book.  Copies 
of  this  Great  Bible  were  ordered  placed  in  every  church,  and  it 
was  a  common  sight  to  see  groups  of  peasants  gathered  about 
them,  while  one  of  their  number  read  the  blessed  words  aloud. 

Research:  A  comparison  of  the  Psalms  in  the  English  Prayer 
Book  and  in  our  modern  versions. 

VI.  Whittingham.  The  Genevan  Bible.  The  persecutions  of 
Queen  Mary's  reign  drove  many  reformers  to  Geneva.  One  of 
these,  William  Whittingham,  published  in  1557  a  valuable  transla- 
tion of  the  New  Testament  based  upon  Tyndale.  He  was  the  first 
to  use  different  type  to  indicate  words  not  found  in  the  original 
but  inserted  to  make  the  meaning  plain,  like  the  italics  of  our  Bibles. 
He  also  introduced  into  English  the  verse  divisions,  which  in  1560 
were  applied  to  the  entire  Bible.  In  that  year  the  Genevan  Bible 
was  published,  the  work  of  a  company  of  exiled  scholars,  of  whom 
Whittingham  was  one. 

Discussions:  The  advantage  and  disadvantage  of  verse  divisions. 
The  wise  use  of  marginal  references. 


SIX    LESSONS    ON    THE  BOOK  IQ 

VII.  The  Bishops'  Bible,  of  1568,  was  a  revision  of  the  Great 
Bible,  designed  to  supplant  the  Genevan  version.  It  was  planned 
by  Archbishop  Parker,  who  divided  the  work  among  certain 
scholars,  many  of  them  bishops.  The  result  is  a  translation  of 
varied  excellence,  the  use  of  which  was  rather  a  matter  of  authority 
than  of  value,  though  it  contained  many  happy  and  original  ren- 
derings. 

VIII.  Roman  Catholic  Translations.  The  success  of  these 
Protestant  versions  compelled  the  Roman  Catholics  to  issue  a  trans- 
lation into  English.  This  was  made  during  Elizabeth's  reign  by 
English  Roman  Catholics  who  had  fled  to  Douai  in  Flanders.  Their 
New  Testament  was  first  published  at  Rheims,  in  1582.  It  is  a  trans- 
lation of  Jerome's  Latin  translation,  with  occasional  use  of  the  Greek, 
but  is  extremely  literal,  and  full  of  Latin  terms — some  of  which, 
however,  have  been  transferred  into  our  Protestant  Bibles  and 
have  become  common  English  words.  Romish  doctrines  strongly 
influenced  the  translation  and  the  marginal  notes.  It  was  not  till 
1610  that  the  Douai  Old  Testament  appeared. 

Essay:     Differences  between  the  Roman  Catholic  Bible  and  ours. 

IX.  The  Authorized  (or  King  James)  Version  of  1611.  The 
Great  Bible,  Genevan  Bible,  and  Bishops'  Bible,  were  all  in  use, 
which  was  confusing.  Under  the  patronage  of  James  I,  therefore, 
a  new  version  was  formed,  which  was  to  be  supreme  for  two  and 
a  half  centuries.  Forty-seven  translators  were  selected,  eminent 
scholars,  and  to  each  was  assigned  a  portion  of  the  Bible.  Two 
and  three-fourths  years  were  spent  on  the  task.  A  very  full  and 
careful  use  was  made  of  all  the  work  that  had  gone  before,  even 
the  Roman  Catholic  Bible,  and  the  excellencies  of  all  versions  were 
incorporated  in  this  great  one.  Nevertheless,  it  seems  never  to 
have  been  formally  "authorized"  by  any  authority,  and  it  passed 
only  slowly,  and  against  bitter  opposition,  into  the  universal  favor 
it  came  gradually  to  enjoy. 

Essay:     The  preface  (not  the  dedication)  of  the  King  James  ver- 
sion, as  illustrating  the  spirit  of  the  translators. 

X.  The  Revised  (or  Victorian)  Version.  Through  all  these 
years  many  unauthorized  editors  and  publishers  introduced  im- 
provements in  the  translation  of  161 1;  but  the  discovery  of  the 
most  ancient  manuscripts,  that  were  entirely  unknown  in  King 
James's  time,  the  changes  in  our  language,  and  the  defects  even  in 


TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


the  noble  version  itself,  made  a  thorough  revision  necessary.  This 
was  undertaken  by  the  Church  of  England,  which  formed  two 
companies  of  distinguished  scholars  from  all  denominations,  one 
for  the  Old  Testament  and  one  for  the  New,  with  corresponding 
American  companies  working  in  close  cooperation.  After  ten  and 
one-half  years  of  labor,  in  1881,  the  Revised  New  Testament  was 
published,  and  after  four  years  more,  in  1885,  the  Revised  Old 
Testament.  In  1901  (having  waited  according  to  agreement)  the 
American  revisers  published  the  American  Revision,  containing 
their  own  preferences,  so  far  as  they  had  not  been  adopted  by  the 
English  companies,  and  making  many  improvements.  These  ver- 
sions, like  the  King  James  Bible,  are  coming  into  use  very  slowly; 
but  earnest  students  of  the  Bible  use  them  with  great  delight  and 
profit. 

Discussion:  Reasons  why  the  Revised  Version  is  so  slowly 
adopted. 

Essay:  Examples  of  the  improved  renderings  in  the  Revised 
Version. 

Discussion:  Which  is  to  be  preferred,  the  American  or  English 
revision? 

QUESTIONS   FOR  REVIEW 

Suggestion:     The  leader  may   divide  the  class   into  two  "sides," 

and  conduct  the  review  like  a  spelling  match. 
Who  first  translated  the  Bible  into  English?     In  what  year? 
Who  preceded  him  with  paraphrases  and  partial  translations? 
Who  was  the  second  great  English  translator? 
What  Bible  translators  were  martyred? 
Who  published  the  first  printed  English  Bible? 
What  was  the  Complutensian  Polyglot? 
What  translator  was  martyred  by  ''Bloody  Mary"? 
What  was  the  first  authorized  version? 
Who  edited  the  Great  Bible?  when?     Why  was  it  so  called? 
In    what    European    city    were    English    Protestant    translations 

made?     Catholic  translations? 
What  was  the  Puritans'  Bible? 
Why  was  the  Bishops'  Bible  so  called? 
When  was  the  King  James  Bible  published?    the  Revised  Bible? 

the  American  Revision? 
Name  in  order  the  great  English  translations  of  the  Bible. 


SIX   LESSONS    ON    THE   BOOK  21 

LESSON  VI 

THE  BIBLE  AS  LITERATURE 

I.  Hebrew  verse  is  not  based  on  rhyme  or  meter,  but  on 
"parallelism,"  the  balancing  of  clauses,  one  thought  being  followed 
by  another  which  reflects  it. 

Example:     Job,  ch.  41. 

Canst  thou  draw  out  leviathan  with  a  fishhook? 
Or  press  down  his  tongue  with  a  cord?  etc. 
The  verse  may  run  in  couplets  (as  in  Job,  ch.  41),  in  triplets  (Ps. 
1:1),  in  quatrains  (Ps.  121),  and  also  in  longer  groups.     The  re- 
frain is  sometimes  used  (Ps.  136).     Hebrew  poems  are  often  ar- 
ranged   in    more   complicated   stanzas    called    strophes,    all    of   the 
same  form  (Ps.  107 — note  also  the  double  refrain).     In  the  Revised 
Version  the  poetry  is  generally  printed  in  verse  form. 
Exercise:     Find  other   examples  of  couplets,   triplets,   quatrains, 
refrains,  and  strophes. 

II.  Symmetrical  arrangement  is  common  in  Hebrew  prose  as 
well  as  verse,  and  the  two  often  run  into  each  other.  Note,  for 
example,  the  balanced  structure  of  the  first  two  chapters  of  Amos. 
Arrangement  in  sevens  is  often  made,  as  in  the  seven  letters  to  the 
churches  (Rev.,  chs.  1-3);  or  in  fives,  as  the  five  books  of  Psalms. 
Sometimes  the  poems  are  acrostics,  the  stanzas  or  the  lines  be- 
ginning with  the  successive  letters  of  the  Hebrew  alphabet.  Ex- 
amples are  Psalms  119,  iii,  34,  the  Lamentations  of  Jeremiah. 

III.  Poems  are  Lyric  (poems  of  thought  and  emotion),  Epic 
(poems  of  description),  and  Dramatic  (poems  of  action).  The 
Bible  contains  nothing  that  may  be  called  exactly  a  drama,  the 
nearest  approach  to  it  being  the  Book  of  Job.  Bible  lyrics,  how- 
ever, are  often  dramatic  (for  example,  the  Song  of  Solomon),  and 
the  prophets  often  use  dramatic  action  as  the  text  of  their  dis- 
courses (e.  g.,  Jer.  19:  10). 

Exercise:     Find   other  examples   of  dramatic   action   throughout 

the  Bible. 
Essay:     A  literary  study  of  the  Book  of  Job. 

IV.  The  Lyrics  of  the  Bible  take  many  forms.  Some  are 
elaborate  odes, such  as  the  Song  of  Deborah  (Judges, ch. 5), the  Song 


22  TEACHER-TRAINING  COURSE 

of  Moses  and  Miriam  (Ex.,  ch.  15),  and  the  patriotic  ode,  Psalm  78. 
Some  are  simpler,  and  may  be  called  songs,  like  the  ''Songs  of 
Degrees"  or  "of  Ascents"  (Psalms  120-134),  the  songs  of  pilgrim- 
age, sung  as  the  Hebrews  went  up  to  the  feasts  at  Jerusalem  or 
returned  from  the  Exile.  Some  are  elegies,  and  have  a  peculiar 
rhythm,  the  second  member  of  each  couplet  being  shortened  or 
failing  to  parallel  the  thought  of  the  first.  The  Lamentations  of 
Jeremiah  is  an  elaborate  elegiac  poem;  other  elegies  are  Psalms 
^37 >  74,  80;  II  Sam.  i:  19-27.  The  Bible  contains  one  exquisite  idyl, 
Solomon's  Song. 

Exercise:  Find  psalms  that  may  be  called  odes,  and  others  that 
may  be  called  songs  (hymns,  prayers,  meditations,  etc.). 
Find  songs  in  the  prose  portions  of  the  Bible,  like  the  Song 
of  the  Sword,  in  Gen.  4 :  23,  24. 

Essay:     A  literary  study  of  Solomon's  Song. 

V.  Epics,  in  the  conventional  sense,  like  the  Iliad  or  ^neid, 
are  not  found  in  the  Bible,  for  the  Bible  epics  are  all  in  prose, 
save  that  sometimes,  as  in  the  story  of  Balaam,  they  mingle  prose 
and  verse.  Many  stories,  however,  like  that  of  Joseph,  are  treated 
in  the  epic  style,  being  creative,  rather  than  prosaic,  description. 
They  are  none  the  less  true,  of  course,  because  of  their  poetical 
style.  Other  Bible  stories  that  stir  the  imagination  after  the 
fashion  of  an  epic  are  the  accounts  of  Esther,  Gideon,  Jephthah, 
Jacob,  Samson.  The  Book  of  Ruth  is  an  "epic  idyl,"  and  the 
epic  characteristics  appear  in  the  narratives  of  the  great  prophets, 
Elijah,  Elisha,  Daniel,  and  Jonah. 

Exercise:     Find  other  examples  of  prose  epics  in  the  Bible. 
Essay:     The  essentials  of  an  epic,  as  illustrated  in  the  history  of 
Elijah. 

VI.  Histories  (including  these  epic  passages)  occupy  a  large 
part  of  the  Bible.  Genesis  is  the  ancient  history  of  the  Hebrews. 
Exodus,  Leviticus,  Numbers,  make  up  their  constitutional  history, 
the  establishing  of  the  national  order.  The  Book  of  Chronicles 
is  ecclesiastical  history — history  considered  from  the  standpoint 
of  church  authority,  as  distinguished  from  the  record  of  the  same 
events  in  Second  Samuel  and  Kings,  which  is  national  history. 
The  Acts  is  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  the  New  Testament. 

Essay:  Bible  histories  as  models  of  clearness,  simplicity,  and 
power. 


SIX    LESSONS    ON    THE   BOOK  23 

VII.  Biographies,  of  course,  are  interwoven  with  the  Bible  his- 
tories, as  in  the  prose  epics  already  mentioned.  The  leading  Bible 
biographies  are  the  four  Gospels,  which  present  the  character  of 
our  Lord  in  four  aspects:  Matthew,  as  the  Messiah  of  prophecy; 
Mark,  as  the  Saviour  of  the  Gentiles;  Luke,  as  the  Redeemer  of 
the  world;  John,  as  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  personal  Saviour  of 
the  individual  reader. 

Discussion:     Is  this  characterization  of  the  Gospels  just? 

VIII.  Bible  Orations.  Discourses  of  various  lengths  are  found 
in  nearly  all  the  books  of  the  Bible,  and  illustrate  all  styles  of 
oratory — rhetorically  elaborate,  as  in  Job;  argumentative,  as  Paul's 
on  Mars'  Hill;  historical,  as  Stephen's;  invective,  like  Christ's  de- 
nunciation of  the  Pharisees;  diplomatic,  like  the  Rabshakeh's  before 
Jerusalem;  ilhtstrative,  like  Christ's  parables.  The  book  of  Deuter- 
onomy is  throughout  an  oratorical  masterpiece. 

Exercise:     Find  other  examples  of  Bible  oratory. 
Essay:     What  an  orator  could  learn  from  Deuteronomy. 
Discussion:     Bible  prayers — what  are  the  chief  examples? 

IX.  Epistles  are  written  discourses,  and  partake  largely  of  the 
nature  of  orations,  or  oral  addresses.  The  epistles  of  the  Old 
Testament  are  unimportant,  and  scattered  through  the  various 
books  (as  Jer.,  ch.  29),  but  the  New  Testament  epistles  are  second 
only  to  the  Gospels  in  power  and  influence.  They  are  letters  to 
churches  (like  Paul's  to  Corinth),  or  to  individuals  (Timothy, 
Philemon),  or  to  races  (Hebrews,  Romans).  Sometimes,  in  the 
form  of  a  letter,  they  are  theological  treatises  (Rom.,  Heb.),  and 
sometimes  special  instructions  and  exhortations  (Peter,  Col.). 

Exercise:     Find  other  Old  Testament  letters. 

Essay:     St.  Paul  as  the  world's  greatest  letter-writer. 

X.  Philosophy  is  always  called  "wisdom"  in  the  Bible,  and  the 
philosophy  of  the  Scriptures  may  be  called  their  "wisdom  litera- 
ture." The  simplest  form  is  the  proverb,  either  a  simple  verse 
couplet  (Prov.  27:  i),  or  a  riddle  like  Samson's,  or  a  prose  maxim 
(Jer.  31:29).  The  proverbs  may  be  grouped,  those  of  kindred 
thought  being  loosely  brought  together  (Prov.  26:  1-12).  They 
may  be  expanded  in  epigrams  (Prov.  22:  22,  23)  or  in  longer  poems 
analogous  to  sonnets  (Prov.  30:18,  19;  23:29-35).  The  thought 
may  be  enlarged  and  rendered  consecutive  in  an  essay  (Jas.  3:1-12). 


24  TEACHER-TRAINING    COURSE 

The  book  of  Ecclesiastes  is  a  series  of  essays  bound  together  by  one 
plan— a  study  of  Hfe-objects. 

Exercise:  Find  proverb  couplets,  triplets,  and  epigrams.  Find 
other  prose  maxims.     Find  some  Bible  essays. 

Essay:     A  literary  study  of  Ecclesiastes. 

XI.  Prophecy  is  the  loftiest  department  of  Bible  literature,  and 
the  most  characteristic.  It  must  not  be  confounded  with  our 
restricted  modern  sense  of  prediction;  the  prophet  was  the  man 
who  spoke  forth  the  oracles  of  God.  "Burdens''  is  the  technical 
term  sometimes  applied  to  the  message.  Hebrew  prophecies  are 
sometimes  discourses  analogous  to  our  sermons  (Isa.,  ch.  i)  ;  some- 
times they  pass  into  lyrics  (Zeph.) ;  sometimes  they  are  based  on 
symbols  (Jer.,  ch.  13);  sometimes  they  are  visions  (Ezek.,  ch.  27),  or 
revelations  (Dan.,  ch.  7,  etc.);  sometimes  parables  (Isa.,  ch,  5  and 
Christ's  discourses);  sometimes  dialogues  (Mai.);  sometimes  they 
pass  into  complex  dramatic  rhapsodies,  which  combine  with  sublime 
power  many  of  the  highest  forms  of  verse  and  prose  (Joel). 

Exercise:     Discover  other  examples  of  these  classes  of  prophecies. 

Essay:  How  the  book  of  The  Revelation  takes  up  and  carries  on 
the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament. 

QUESTIONS   FOR  REVIEW  , 

Suggestion:     Instead    of   using   these    questions,    the   leader    may 

ask  the  members  to  propose  questions  of  their  own. 
What  is  the  basis  of  Hebrew  verse? 
What  are  some  of  the  Hebrew  verse-arrangements? 
What  symmetrical  arrangements  are  sometimes  adopted  in  He- 

brew  verse  and  prose? 
Name  the  three  divisions  of  poetry. 
What  portions  of  the  Bible  are  dramatic? 

Name  the  principal  forms  of  Hebrew  lyrics.     Give  examples. 
In  what  form  is  the  epic  found  in  the  Bible?     Give  examples. 
Classify  the  historical  books  of  the  Bible. 
Characterize  the  leading  Bible  biographies. 

What  kinds  of  oratory  are  found  in  the  Bible?     Give  examples. 
Discuss  the  various  forms  of  epistles  found  in  the  Bible. 
Name  (with  examples)  the  types  of  philosophical  literature  which 

the  Bible  contains. 
What  is  prophecy?     What  are  its  leading  forms?     Give  examples. 


FIRST  TERM— PART  II 

SEVEN  LESSONS  ON  BIBLE  HISTORY 

Lesson  VII.  Adam  to  Moses. 

VIII.  Moses  to  Saul. 

IX.  Saul  to  the  Babylonian  Captivity. 

X.  The  Babylonian  Captivity  to  Christ. 

XI.  The  Life  of  Christ. 
XIL  The  Life  of  Paul. 
XIII.  The  Apostolic  Church. 


LESSON  VII 
ADAM  TO  MOSES 

NOTES 

1.  The  Bible  is  the  history  of  divine  revelations  to  men,  culmin- 
ating, in  the  revelation  in  Jesus  Christ  and  the  founding  of  the 
Christian  Church.  Its  central  theme  is  the  divine  grace  toward 
men,  which  reaches  its  highest  expression  in  Jesus  the  Christ  and 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  of  salvation  in  all  the  world. 

2.  It  is  obvious  to  a  casual  reader  that  the  Bible  contains  a  well- 
defined  scheme  of  history,  that  it  interprets  events,  giving  them 
their  religious  rather  than  their  secular  meaning,  and  that  it  repre- 
sents God  as  one  of  the  active  agents  in  the  history  of  this  world 
and  of  men. 

3.  The  scheme  of  history  as  set  forth  in  the  Bible  is  conveniently 
divided  as  follows:* 

I.  Adam  to  Moses. 

II.  Moses  to  Saul. 

III.  Saul  to  the  Babylonian  Captivity. 

IV.  The  Babylonian  Captivity  to  Christ. 

V.  The  Life  of  Christ. 

VI.  The  Life  of  Paul. 

VII.  The  Apostolic  Church. 

ADAM  TO  MOSES 

I.  The  Book  of  Genesis  treats  of  this  period,  and  this  book  ought 
to  be  read  through  in  preparation  for  this  lesson. 

II.  The  progress  of  the  history  of  the  world  from  the  Creation 


*  There  is  much  chronological  data  in  the  Bible,  but  it  has  not  yet  been 
arranged  into  an  entirely  satisfactory  order.  The  dates  found  in  our  reference 
Bibles  are  those  computed  by  Archbishop  Ussher  (A.  D.  1581-1656).  Their 
inaccuracy  in  many  cases  is  well  established.  It  is  now  generally  agreed 
that  the  period  from  Adam  to  Christ  is  much  longer  than  4,000  years.  The 
dates  given  in  these  lessons  are  for  the  most  part  simply  approximate,  and 
are  not  uniformly  accepted  by  the  most  competent  scholars. 

27 


28  TEACHER-TRAINING  COURSE 

to   the   Exodus   of   Israel   from   Egypt   is   traced   through   seven 
epochal  events: 

(i)  The  Creation  of  Man. 

(2)  The  hifroduction  of  Sin. 

(3)  The  Deluge. 

(4)  The  Dispersion. 

(5)  The  Call  of  Abraham. 

(6)  The  Wanderings  of  Jacob. 

(7)  The  Descent  of  Israel  into  Egypt. 

III.  These  events  are  deeply  significant  to  the  purpose  of  the 
Bible,  which  is  to  show  God's  connection  with  the  world  and  with 
men,  and  his  self-revelation  to  men;  and  this  record  of  them  is 
concerned  solely  with  this  religious  purpose. 

IV.  The  historical   religious  value   of  these   epochal   events 

may  be  briefly  indicated  as  follows: 

(i)   The  Creation  of  Man   (Gen.  i :  i  to  2:25). 

(a)  God  was  the  Creator  of  all  things,  including  our  first  parents, 
who  were  the  very  crown  and  glory  of  creation,  and  who  were  made 
in  the  image  of  God. 

(b)  The  date  of  this  event  cannot  be  determined  in  the  present 
state  of  our  knowledge,  but  there  is  general  agreement  among 
scholars  that  it  was  so  remote  that  the  4,000  years  ordinarily 
assigned  between  it  and  the  birth  of  Christ  are  but  a  small  fraction 
of  the  interval. 

(2)  The  Introduction  of  Sin  (Gen.  3:  1-24). 

(a)  This  disastrous  event  began  in  a  temptation  to  man  to  yield 
to  the  gratification  of  his  lower  physical  nature  rather  than  to 
follow  the  command  of  God. 

(b)  It  was  due  to  man's  voluntary  and  willful  disobedience  of 
God's  command. 

(c)  It  came  at  the  end  of  a  severe  moral  struggle. 

(d)  It  involved  both  parents. 

(e)  It  entailed  terrible  consequences  upon  man  in  his  relation  to 
God,  to  himself,  to  the  rest  of  creation;  e.  g.,  sin,  enmity,  sorrow, 
death. 

(f)  It  gave  birth  to  a  hope  of  a  redemption  from  all  of  these  ter- 
rible consequences,  expressed  in  the  first  promise,  the  "protevan- 
gelium"  (Gen.  3:  15). 

(3)  The  Deluge  (Gen.  6:  i  to  10:  32). 


SEVEN   LESSONS   ON   BIBLE   HISTORY  29 

(a)  This  widespread  natural  calamity,  involving  the  whole  race, 
revealed  man's  close  connection  with  nature,  so  that  his  moral 
conduct  is  rightly  regarded  as  at  times  a  cause  of  natural  phenom- 
ena; God's  close  connection  with  nature  so  that  he  is  really  the 
power  back  of  natural  processes;  God's  merciful  concern  for  the 
race,  so  that  he  did  not  utterly  destroy  it  as  it  justly  deserved 
because  of  its  sins. 

(b)  The  Deluge  was  followed  by  new  religious  rites  (Gen.  8:  20)  ; 
new  emphasis  of  God's  close  relations  with  man  and  his  merciful  in- 
tentions toward  him  (Gen.  9:  8-17). 

(4)  The  Dispersion  of  the  Race  (Gen.  11:  1-9). 

(a)  This  was  due  to  God's  displeasure  at  man's  conduct  and  moral 
condition. 

(b)  It  resulted  in  the  destruction  of  the  bonds  of  unity  among 
men  and  in  the  origin  of  the  various  races. 

(5)  The  Call  of  Abraham  (Gen.  12:  i  to  25:  10). 

(a)  Abraham,  a  native  of  Mesopotamia,  is  called  of  God  to  leave 
his  people  and  go  into  an  unknown  land,  where,  according  to  the 
divine  promise,  he  would  become  the  father  of  a  mighty  nation, 

(b)  In  Palestine,  the  land  promised  to  him  and  his  seed  forever, 
he  is  not  permitted  to  have  a  fixed  abode,  but  in  his  wanderings 
he  consecrates  the  land  to  the  One  God  by  erecting  altars  to  his 
worship. 

(c)  In  his  old  age  God  gave  him  a  son,  Isaac,  who  became  the 
heir  to  the  divine  promise,  and  whose  son  Jacob  was  the  father 
of  the  Hebrews. 

(d)  Through  Abraham  the  Hebrews  were  close  of  kin  to  the 
powerful  nations  that  subsequently  were  their  neighbors  and  often 
their  enemies. 

(e)  The  distinguishing  characteristic  of  Abraham  was  his  faith 
in    God,    and    he    is    called    the    father    of    all    those    who    believe 

(Gal.  3:  6,  7). 

(6)  The  Wanderings  of  Jacob  (Gen.  25:  19  to  36:43). 

(a)  To  this  point  in  the  narrative  righteousness  and  sin  have  been 
represented  as  embodied  in  different  individuals,  but  now  they  are 
embodied  in  the  same  individual,  Jacob,  causing  a  complex  char- 
acter. 

(b)  The  divine  purpose  is  wrought  out  through  all  the  good  and 
bad  in  Jacob,  who  suffers  for  his  sin,  grows  in  goodness,  and  ad- 
vances in  the  knowledge  of  God. 


36  TtACHER-TfeAiNlNG  COURSE 

(c)  The  divine  promise,  the  right  to  which  he  obtained  in  his 
youth  from  his  brother  Esau  by  fraud,  he  subsequently  received 
from  God  on  the  basis  of  character. 

(7)   The  Descent  of  Israel  into  Egypt  (Gen.  37 :  i  to  50:26). 

(a)  Of  all  the  children  of  Jacob,  the  history  selects  Joseph  as 
the  one  whose  life-story  is  of  deepest  significance,  because  through 
him  the  Hebrews  are  brought  into  Egypt,  where,  under  the  bitter 
discipline  of  slavery,  the  beginnings  of  their  national  life  are  nur- 
tured. 

(b)  The  providence  of  God  is  conspicuous  in  the  overruling  of 
the  follies  and  sins  of  Jacob,  of  his  sons,  and  of  Joseph's  enemies 
in  Egypt. 

(c)  Moral  worth  is  now  seen  (in  Joseph's  life)  not  always  to 
bring  its  temporal  reward,  but  it  does  not  thereby  lose  its  worth- 
iness. 

V.  Through  these  epochal  events  the  Book  of  Genesis  traces 
the  origin  of  man,  of  sin,  of  the  great  divisions  of  mankind,  of 
languages,  of  the  nations  kindred  to  the  Hebrews,  of  the  Hebrew 
tribes,  and  of  their  separated  life.  Thus  is  the  history  of  the  race 
rapidly  sketched  from  the  creation  of  man  to  the  death  of  Joseph, 
a  long  and  indefinite  period,  with  the  manifest  religious  purpose  of 
showing  God's  character,  his  agency  in  human  history,  and  his 
unfolding  plan  to  save  the  world. 

LESSON  VIII 
MOSES  TO  SAUL 

I.  The  chronology  for  this  period  is  uncertain.  In  the 
present  state  of  our  knowledge.  1317  B.  C.  and  1030  B.  C.,  are  as 
probable  as  any  dates  for  the  Exodus  and  the  Coronation  of  Saul 
respectively. 

II.  This  period  may  be  subdivided  as  follows: 

(i)  The  Oppression  in  Egypt. 

(2)  The  Exodus. 

(3)  The  Wilderness  Wanderings. 

(4)  The  Conquest  of  Canaan. 

(5)  The  Heroes. 

(i)  The  Oppression  in  Egypt  (Exod.  1:1  to  11:  10). 


SEVEN   LESSONS  ON   BIBLE   HISTORY  3I 

(a)  Some  time  subsequent  to  the  death  of  Joseph,  the  Pharaoh 
reduced  the  Hebrews  to  cruel  bondage,  and  becoming  alarmed  at 
their  rapid  increase  in  numbers  and  their  manifest  power,  sought, 
but  in  vain,  their  extinction. 

(b)  God  watched  over  this  people;  they  came  to  have  a  growing 
sense  of  their  unity  and  their  destiny,  and  their  exceeding  bitter 
cry  by  reason  of  their  task-masters  reached  unto  heaven. 

(c)  God  provided  a  deliverer,  Moses,  whose  infant  life  he  pre- 
served and  whose  long  training  for  his  high  mission  he  directed. 

(2)  The  Exodus  (Exod.  12:  i  to  15:  27). 

(a)  At  the  end  of  a  long  series  of  national  calamities  the  Pharaoh 
permitted  Moses  and  Aaron  to  lead  forth  Israel  from  Egypt,  who, 
miraculously  guided  and  guarded,  came  to  Mount  Sinai. 

(b)  Here  Israel  formally  entered  into  covenant  with  Jehovah 
(Ex.  19:1  to  20:21)  renounced  idolatry,  received  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments, improved  their  national  organization  and  their  ritual  of 
worship. 

(c)  The  Feast  of  the  Passover  was  estabHshed  to  celebrate  their 
deliverance  from  Egypt  and  the  divine  care. 

(3)  The  JVilde7')iess  JVanderings. 

(a)  The  remaining  portion  of  the  Pentateuch  contains  the  data 
of  these  wanderings,  which  covered  a  period  of  about  forty  years. 

(b)  Notwithstanding  all  their  experiences  of  the  divine  grace  and 
power,  Israel  soon  broke  the  covenant  made  at  Sinai,  frequently 
lapsed  into  idolatry  and  other  gross  sins,  and,  once  and  again,  were 
punished  for  their  follies  (Num.  11:  1-3;  16:  1-35;  21:4-9;  25:  1-5). 

(c)  Their  most  serious  error  was  at  Kadesh-barnea,  on  the  bor- 
ders of  Palestine,  whither  they  came  shortly  after  leaving  Sinai. 
They  lost  heart  because  of  the  perils  and  hardships  of  the  way  and 
resolved  to  return  to  Egypt.  Moses  by  his  wise  leadership  saved 
them  from  this  folly,  and  God  mercifully  pardoned  their  unbelief. 
Nevertheless,  all  save  Joshua  and  Caleb  were  to  die  before  the 
tribes  entered  Palestine  (Num.  13 :  i  to  14:38), 

(d)  The  discipline  of  the  wilderness  gave  them  an  increased  sense 
of  tribal  unity,  an  army  of  veterans,  possession  of  the  region  east 
of  the  Jordan,  and  many  signal  evidences  of  God's  care  (Num. 
9:  15-23;  20:2-13;  21:21-31). 

(e)  Moses,  their  leader,  one  of  the  greatest  men  of  ancient 
times,  is  permitted  to  see  but  not  to  enter  Palestine,  and,  having 
brought  them  to  the  borders  of  the  land  on  the  east,  he  dies,  and 


22  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

Joshua   becomes   his    successor    (Num.   27:12-23;    Deut.   31:14-23; 
34:  1-12). 

(4)  The  Conquest  of  Canaan  (Josh,  i :  i  to  11:23;  15:13-19; 
17:  14-18;  cf.  Jud.  1 :  1-36). 

(a)  Under  the  leadership  of  Joshua,  during  a  period  of  twenty- 
five  years,  Israel  crossed  the  Jordan,  captured  Jericho  and  other 
fortified  places,  and  established  themselves  in  southern  Pales- 
tine. 

(b)  But  the  time  was  not  long  enough,  nor  were  they  sufficiently 
united,  to  conquer  the  whole  land  or  to  present  a  united  front 
against  their  numerous  and  powerful  neighbors  on  the  west  and 
north. 

(5)  The  Heroes  (Jud.  2 :  i  to  21 :  25 ;  Ruth,  chs.  1-4;  I  Sam.  i:  i 

to  7:  17). 

(a)  Israel,  having  only  partially  conquered  Palestine  and  being 
surrounded  by  enemies,  were  subject  to  frequent  and  disastrous 
attacks. 

(b)  From  time  to  time  strong  leaders  arose,  called  "Judges," 
more  properly  Deliverers  or  Heroes,  who  successfully  resisted 
attacks  or  wrought  deliverances  for  their  enslaved  tribes. 

(c)  The  more  notable  of  these  Heroes  were  Gideon,  Deborah 
(with  Barak),  Samson,  Eli,  and  Samuel,  the  last  and  greatest  of 
them. 

(d)  This  period  extends  from  the  death  of  Joshua  to  the  Early 
Monarchy,  a  period  of  great  disorder  and  of  uncertain  duration, 
perhaps  not  above  two  hundred  years,  during  which  Israel  was 
more  or  less  influenced  by  the  Canaanites  in  their  political,  in- 
dustrial, and  religious  views  and  practices. 

(e)  Many  of  the  influences  from  their  neighbors  were  corrupting, 
but  Jehovah  graciously  continued  to  watch  over  them,  once  and 
again  saved  them  from  being  overwhelmed,  and  caused  the  dis- 
cipline of  these  years  to  bring  them  to  better  things. 

III.  At  the  beginning  of  this  period  the  Israelites  were  in 
bondage  in  Egypt,  then  they  became  a  body  of  nomadic  tribes, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  period,  they  are  in  their  own  land,  leading 
an  agricultural  and  merchant  life,  with  a  growing  sense  of  unity, 
and  a  desire  for  the  expression  of  that  unity  and  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  peace  and  order  in  a  central  government  under  a  king. 

IV.  Throughout  the  period  the  Israelites  have  been  under 


SEVEN   LESSONS  ON   BIBLE   HISTORY  33 


the  care  and  the  discipline  of  Jehovah,  and  although  they  have 
been  disobedient  and  have  shown  marked  disposition  to  lapse  into 
idolatry,  yet  they  have  signal  and  effective  lessons  in  the  power, 
grace,  and  righteous  character,  of  God. 


LESSON  IX 

SAUIi  TO   THE   BABYLONIAN"   CAPTIVITY 

I.  A  new  era  in  Israel's  history  begins  with  the  Coronation 
of  Saul,  1030  B.  C,  and  continues  with  varying  fortunes  to  the 
Downfall  of  Jerusalem,  587  B.  C.  The  tribal  life  ends  and  the 
national  life  begins,  although  the  old  order  survives  in  many  and 
influential  ways,  so  that  the  national  unity  was  more  than  once 
imperiled. 

II.  The  history  of  the  period  is  told  in  two  separate  accounts, 
First  and  Second  Samuel  and  First  and  Second  Kings  being  one; 
First  and  Second  Chronicles  being  the  other.  The  period  covers 
about  460  years. 

III.  The  period  may  be  subdivided  into  four   subperiods: 

(i)   The  United  Kingdom. 

(2)  The  Divided  Kingdom. 

(3)  The  Downfall  of  the  Northern  Kingdom. 

(4)  The  Downfall  of  the  Southern  Kingdom. 

(i)    The  United  Kingdom. 

(a)  Saul  came  to  the  throne  in  the  midst  of  a  great  Philistine 
oppression  (I  Sam.  13:  1-23).  He  was  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin, 
yet  the  other  tribes  were  loyal  to  him  in  varying  degrees;  his 
reign  was  one  unbroken  series  of  conflicts  with  the  Philistines, 
and  came  to  an  end,  after  a  reputed  duration  of  40  years,  in  a 
disastrous  battle  in  which  he  and  his  son  Jonathan  lost  their  lives 
and  Israel  was  defeated. 

(b)  David  was  the  founder  and  organizer  of  a  powerful  state;  a 
man  of  rare  intellectual  power;  a  general,  poet,  musician,  and  ruler 
of  consummate  ability.  His  reign,  which  covered  another  reputed 
40  years,  was  marked  by  the  choice  of  Jerusalem  as  the  capital, 
the  ascendance  of  the  tribe  of  Judah.  and  the  establishment  of  the 
nation  as  one  of  the  world-powers.     His  dynasty  continued  to  reign 


34  TEACHER-TRAINING  COURSE 

in  Jerusalem  until  the  nation  lost  its  independence,  and  his  family 
continued  until  his  last  and  greatest  descendant,  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
(c)  Solomon  reigned  for  another  reputed  40  years,  signalized 
his  reign  by  building  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem  and  also  palaces 
and  cities  (I  Kings  9:  10-19).  His  reign  was  magnificent,  despotic, 
and  oppressive  (I  Kings  10:23-29;  12:4).  He  left  an  empire  ex- 
tending far  beyond  the  limits  of  Palestine,  but  so  unstable  that  it  fell 
to  pieces  upon  his  death  (I  Kings  4:20,  21), 

(2)  The  Divided  Kingdom. 

(a)  Upon  the  death  of  Solomon,  Jeroboam  led  ten  of  the  tribes 
in  revolt  against  the  house  of  David  (I  Kings  12:  12-20)  established 
the  "Kingdom  of  Israel,"  or  "Northern  Kingdom,"  built  his  capital 
at  Shechem,  and  made  new  religious  centers  (I  Kings  12:25-33). 
The  capital  was  subsequently  removed  to  Samaria  (I  Kings  16:  24); 
nineteen  kings  representing  seven  dynasties  reigned  over  "Israel"; 
the  relations  with  "Judah"  fluctuated  from  bitter  hostility  to  close 
alliance ;  conflicts  and  alliances  with  Syria,  Assyria,  and  Egypt, 
were  frequent  and  eventually  brought  about  the  downfall  of  the 
kingdom. 

(b)  The  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes  left  to  the  house  of  David  the 
tribes  of  Judah  and  Benjamin,  which  ever  remained  loyal  to  that 
great  house  through  all  its  varying  fortunes  and  formed  the  "King- 
dom of  Judah,"  or  "Southern  Kingdom,"  with  its  capital  at  Jerusa- 
lem. During  this  period  nineteen  kings  of  the  dynasty  of  David 
reigned  over  "Judah." 

(c)  Among  the  kings  of  "Israel"  Jeroboam  I  (II  Chr.  12:15 
to  13:20),  Jehu  (II  Kings  9:  i  to  10:36),  Jeroboam  II  (II  Kings 
14:  16-29)  were  conspicuous;  among  the  kings  of  "Judah"  Jehosha- 
phat  (I  Kings  15:24;  II  Chr.  17:1  to  20:34),  Uzziah  (II  Chr. 
26:  1-23),  Hezekiah  (II  Chr.  28:  27  to  32:  32)  were  prominent.  The 
great  prophets  were  Elijah  (I  Kings  17:1  to  19:21;  II  Kings 
2:1-11),  Elisha  (II  Kings  2:12  to  9:10;  13:20)  in  the  Northern 
Kingdom,  and  Isaiah  (Isa.  1:1)  in  the  Southern  Kingdom. 

(3)  The  Downfall  of  the  Northern  Kingdom. 

(a)  Through  the  misrule  of  its  sovereigns,  its  internal  dissen- 
sions, its  unfortunate  foreign  alliances,  the  disintegrating  influence 
of  its  flagrant  idolatry  and  immorality,  "Israel"  came  to  an  end 
in  the  downfall  of  its  capital.  Samaria,  in  721  B.  C,  at  the  hands 
of  Shalmaneser,  king  of  Assyria,  and  the  ten  tribes  were  carried 
into  captivity  and  disappeared  from  history  (II   Kings  17:5-23). 


SEVEN    LESSONS   ON   BIBLE   HISTORY  35 

(b)  Into  the  territory  of  the  Northern  Kingdom  the  king  of 
Assyria  brought  other  captive  peoples,  v^ho,  minghng  with  the 
poor  Jews  left  by  the  conquerors,  became  the  Samaritans  of  later 
times  (II  Kings  17:24). 

(4)   The  Downfall  of  the  Southern  Kingdom. 

(a)  The  forces  which  led  to  the  overthrow  of  "Israel''  were  at 
work  in  "Judah,"  though  more  slowly.  By  some  degrees  its  re- 
ligious and  moral  life  were  less  corrupt,  therefore  it  had  greater 
stabihty  and  a  longer  career.  Yet  as  the  result  of  its  political, 
social,  and  religious  decay,  134  years  after  Samaria  fell,  Jerusalem 
was  taken  by  the  Chaldeans  in  587  B.  C,  and  king  and  people 
were  carried  to  Babylon. 

(b)  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  were  the  great  prophets  of  this  period. 

(c)  Thus  came  to  an  end  because  of  the  follies  and  sins  of  the 
kings  and  people,  the  City  of  David,  the  Nation,  the  Temple-center 
of  Jehovah  worship,  and  the  Jews'  possession  of  Palestine. 

IV.  This  catastrophe  was  the  closing  scene  of  four  hundred 
and  sixty  years  of  the  Hebrew  Monarchy,  which  began  in  a 
weak  confederacy  of  the  twelve  tribes,  grew  to  the  strength  and 
brilliancy  of  a  great  world-power,  was  rent  asunder,  lost  its  prestige, 
and  finally  perished;  which  was  never  free  from  the  deadl^^  evil  of 
idolatry  and  its  consequent  immorality;  and  which,  notwithstanding 
the  heroic  efforts  of  prophets  and  God-fearing  kings  and  a  godly 
portion  of  the  people,  perished  because  it  kept  not  the  covenant 
with  Jehovah. 

LESSON  X 
THE  BABYLONIAN  CAPTIVITY  TO  CHRIST 

I.  This  period  extends  from  587  B.  C.  to  4  B.  C.  Of  its  first 
one  hundred  and  fifty-four  years  there  is  some  record  in  the  Old 
Testament;  of  the  remaining  four  hundred  and  twenty-nine  years 
Josephus  and  other  secular  writers  are  our  sources  of  information. 

II.  During  the  whole  of  this  period,  with  one  brief  exception, 
Palestine  was  subject  to  foreign  power,  and  the  condition  and 
life  of  the  people  present  marked  contrasts  with  those  of  the  pre- 
ceding period. 


36  TEACHER-TRAINING    COURSE 

III.  The  period  divides  into  five  epochs: 

(i)   Captivity  under  the  Chaldeans. 

(2)  Restoration  under  the  Persians. 

(3)  Greek  Supremacy. 

(4)  Independence  under  the  Maccabees. 

(5)  Subjection  to  the  Romans. 

(i)   Captivity  under  the  Chaldeans. 

(a)  From  the  Fall  of  Jerusalem  to  the  First  Return  of  the  exiles 
was  about  forty-nine  years, 

(b)  During  this  period  the  land  lay  waste,  Jerusalem  was  a  heap 
of  ruins,  and  the  few  inhabitants  were  reduced  to  great  poverty 
(Neh.  i:  2,  3). 

(c)  The  Jews  of  the  Captivity  were  differently  treated  in  the 
different  provinces  of  Babylon  (Jer.  29:4-7,  22;  Is.  14:3-6). 

(d)  Yet  the  hearts  of  the  faithful,  godly  Jews  were  homesick  for 
their  home  land  and  their  temple  worship  (Psa.  137). 

(2)  Restoration  under  the  Persians. 

(a)  Cyrus,  the  Persian,  overthrew  the  Chaldean  empire,  and  in 
his  first  year,  i.  e.,  about  538  B.  C,  issued  an  edict  for  the  rebuild- 
ing of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  invited  the  Jews  to  undertake  the 
task,  and  surrendered  the  golden  vessels  taken  from  the  temple 
by  Nebuchadrezzar  (Ezra  i:  i-ii).  This  First  Return  probably  was 
not  participated  in  by  many,  met  with  opposition  from  the  inhab- 
itants of  Palestine  (Ezra  4:4,  5),  and  was  not  a  success. 

(b)  A  Second  Return  took  place  under  Zerubbabel  and  Joshua, 
at  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Darius  Hystaspis,  about  522  B.  C, 
which  included  over  40,000  people  besides  servants,  who  began  to 
lay  the  foundations  of  the  temple,  but,  quickly  deserting  the  work 
in  order  to  build  their  own  houses  (Hag.  1:9),  did  not  finish  the 
temple  until  six  years  later  (Ezra  6:  15). 

(c)  In  458  B.  C,  Ezra,  of  the  high-priestly  family,  went  up  to 
Jerusalem  to  rebuild  the  city  and  temple,  to  restore  the  purity  of  the 
temple  worship  and  to  isolate  the  Jews  from  other  nations  (Ezra 
7:  i-io;  9:1-4;  10:  16)  ;  in  445  B.  C,  Nehemiah  went  up  to  assist 
in  the  same  work  (Neh.  2:11;  6:15;  13:1-3).  These  two  men 
worked  for  the  same  end,  and  together  they  accomplished  the  restor- 
ation of  the  Jewish  people  in  their  own  land  freed  from  every 
tendency  to  idolatry  and  filled  with  a  spirit  of  exclusiveness  which 
subsequently  developed  into  bigotry  of  the  most  offensive  type. 


SEVEN    LESSONS    ON    BIBLE    HISTORY  37 

(3)  Greek  Supremacy. 

(a)  In  333  B.  C,  Alexander  the  Great  vanquished  the  Persians 
and  obtained  control  of  Palestine.  He  died  before  he  consolidated 
his  empire. 

(b)  Palestine  frequently  changed  masters;  each  change  brought 
fresh  oppression  and  suffering;  large  numbers  of  Jews  were  de- 
ported to  Egypt;  many  others  voluntarily  sought  new  homes  in 
other  lands,  leaving  their  hearts  behind  them.  These  foreign  Jews 
became  a  connecting  link  between  their  Nation  and  the  Gentiles, 
and  were  an  influential  factor  in  preparing  the  world  for  the  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel. 

(c)  Intrigues  among  the  priests  and  nobles  involved  Jerusalem  in 
serious  political  trouble  and  led  Antiochus,  in  i68  B.  C.,  to  attempt 
the  reduction  of  the  afifairs  of  the  city  to  order  by  massacre,  en- 
slavement, and  the  occupation  of  a  citadel  by  the  Syrians. 

(4)  Independence  under  the  Maccabees. 

The  blundering  cruelty  of  Antiochus  and  his  counselors  pro- 
voked the  Jews  to  revolt,  and  in  two  years,  under  the  leadership 
of  Judas  Maccabseus,  they  had  gained  their  independence.  Civil 
war,  treachery,  bloodshed,  and  anarchy,  characterized  a  large  por- 
tion of  this  period,  and  yet  the  independence  of  the  people  was 
maintained  for  a  hundred  years. 

(5)  Subjection  to  the  Romans. 

(a)  In  63  B.  C.,  Pompey  appeared  in  Syria  at  the  head  of  a 
Roman  army  and,  being  appealed  to  by  the  contending  factions 
in  Jerusalem,  took  peaceful  possession  of  the  city,  except  the 
temple,  where  some  of  the  Jews  entrenched  themselves,  and  which 
he  reduced  by  siege.  In  40  B.  C.,  Herod  was  made  king  of  the 
Jews  by  decree  of  the  Roman  Senate,  but  he  did  not  come  into  pos- 
session of  his  kingdom  until  three  years  later,  when  he  captured 
Jerusalem  after  the  usual  obstinate  resistance.  The  reign  of  the 
Hasmonaeans,  as  the  Herodian  family  is  called,  continued  until  the 
end  of  our  Period. 

IV.  With  the  reign  of  the  Hasmonaeans,  who  were  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Romans,  Jewish  independence  came  to  an  end. 
The  Jews  were  no  longer  a  nation,  only  a  people  separated  from 
other  peoples  by  strong  national  and  religious  prejudices,  yet  torn 
into  factions  and  warring  sects  by  mutual  distrust  and  hatred. 

V.  The  Messianic  expectation,  which  had  appeared  In  the  ear- 


38  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

liest  period  of  their  history,  during  these  bitter  years  of  subjection  to 
other  nations,  had  become  intense  and  "would  be  content  with 
nothing  less  than  a  miraculous  restoration  of  the  throne  of  David 
to  an  undoubted  descendant  of  that  king."  It  was  the  universal 
expectation  that  the  Messiah  would  immediately  appear,  to  deliver 
his  chosen  people. 

LESSON  XI 
THE  LIFE  OP  CHRIST 

I.  The  life  of  Jesus,  the  Christ,  extends  from  4  B.  C.  to 
A.  D.  30.  The  Birth  of  Christ  was  adopted  about  A.  D.  400 
as  the  beginning  of  the  era,  and  a  mistake  of  four  years  was  made 
in  fixing  it  in  the  year  757  from  the  founding  of  Rome.  It  has 
since  been  found  that  it  really  occurred  four  years  earlier,  in  753 
A.  U.  C,  which  puts  it  4  B.  C. 

II.  The  record  of  his  life  is  found  in  the  four  Gospels,  from 
which  we  are  able  to  construct  with  reasonable  accuracy  a  "har- 
mony," and  present  its  main  events  in  chronological  order. 

III.  His  coming  and  mission  had  been  foretold  by  the 
prophets  and  foreshadowed  in  sacrifices  and  temple  ritual.  He 
is  the  hope  of  the  nations  and  the  glory  of  his  people.  All  the 
lines  of  past  history  converge  and  focus  in  him,  and  all  the  lines 
of  subsequent  history  find  their  starting  point  in  him. 

IV.  His  life  may  be  divided  into  seven  periods: 

(i)  Infancy  and  Boyhood. 

(2)  Preparation  for  the  Ministry. 

(3)  Judcean  Ministry. 

(4)  Galilcean  Ministry. 

(5)  Percuan  Ministry. 

(6)  Passion  Week. 

(7)  Resurrection  and  Ascension. 

(i)  Infancy  and  Boyhood  (Luke,  chs.  i  and  2;  Matt.,  ch.  2). 
The  thirteen  recorded   events   of  the  thirty  years  ought  to  be 
familiar  to  all.     They  are: 
Annunciation  of  the  Birth  of  John  the  Baptist. 
Annunciation  of  the  Birth  of  Jesus. 


SEVEN    LESSONS    ON    BIBLE    HISTORY  39 

Visit  of  Mary  to  Elisabeth. 

Birth  of  John. 

Circumcision  of  John. 

Birth  of  Jesus. 

Visit  of  the  Shepherds. 

Circumcision  of  Jesus. 

Presentation  in  the  Temple. 

Visit  of  the  Wise  Men. 

Flight  into  Egypt. 

Return  to  Nazareth. 

Visit  to  the  Temple  at  the  Age  of  Twelve. 

(2)  Preparation  for  the  Ministry  (Matt.  3:1  to  4:11;  John 
1:19-28). 

While  all  his  previous  years  were  a  preparation  for  his  ministry, 
yet  the  following  four  events  were  the  more  immediate  preparation: 
Preaching  of  John. 
Baptism  of  Jesus. 
Temptation  of  Jesus. 
Witness  to  Jesus  by  John. 

(3)  Judccan  Ministry  (John  2:  13  to  4:42). 

The  first  six  months  of  his  ministry  were  spent  in  Jerusalem  and 
Judaea,  with  a  brief  stay  in  Galilee  and  again  in  Samaria. 

(4)  Galilcean  Ministry. 

(a)  This  was  the  longest  period  of  his  public  life,  covering  about 
two  and  one-half  years,  and  was  characterized  by  intense  activity 
in  healing  and  preaching. 

(b)  The  most  notable  of  his  miracles  were: 
The  casting  out  of  demons. 

Healing  all  manner  of  diseases. 

Raising  from  the  dead  Jairus's  daughter  and  the  widow's  son. 

Feeding  the  five  thousand. 

(c)  The  most  notable  of  his  teachings  were: 
The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (Matt.,  chs.  5-7). 
The  parables  of  the  kingdom  (Matt.,  ch.  13). 

His  distinct  claim  to  be  the  Messiah  (Matt.  16:  13-20;  John,  chs. 
5  and  6). 

(d)  The  most  notable  events  were: 

The  confession  of  his  Messiahship  by  Peter  (Matt.  16:  16). 
The  Capernaum  Crisis  (John  6:  66-71). 

(e)  This  ministry  began  in  great  popularity,  which  was  followed 


40  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

by  criticism,  hostility,  and  opposition  from  the  leaders  of  the  people, 
and  ended  in  the  loss  of  his  popularity,  his  practical  withdrawal 
from  public  work,  and  devotion  of  himself  to"  the  training  of  the 
Twelve. 

(5)  Pcrccan  Ministry. 

(a)  This  covered  about  the  last  six  months  of  his  public  life,  and 
was  spent  in  Persea,  east  of  the  Jordan,  where  great  crowds  waited 
on  his  ministry  of  preaching  and  healing,  while  the  rulers  in  Jeru- 
salem were  plotting  his  death. 

(b)  The  most  notable  of  his  miracles  was  the  raising  of  Lazarus 
from  the  grave,  and  the  most  notable  of  his  teachings  were  the 
three  parables  of  the  lost  found  (Luke,  ch.  15). 

(6)  Passion  Week. 

(a)  The  events  of  this  week  are: 
The  Feast  in  his  honor  in  Bethany. 
His  Triumphal  Entry  into  Jerusalem. 
Conflict  with  the  Rulers. 

Last  Supper. 

Agony  in  the  Garden. 

Betrayal. 

Trial. 

Crucifixion. 

Burial. 

(b)  The  notable  teachings  of  this  week  were  the  "Discourses 
in  the  Upper  Room"  (John,  chs.  13-17). 

(c)  This  was  the  darkest  week  in  the  world's  history,  when  the 
most  beneficent  life  the  world  had  known  fell  a  victim  to  the  most 
malignant  hate,  and  the  forces  of  evil  triumphed  over  the  forces  of 
righteousness,  and  the  Light  of  the  world  was  extinguished. 

(7)  Resurrection  and  Ascension. 

(a)  On  the  third  day  after  his  crucifixion  Jesus  arose  from  the 
grave.  On  that  first  Easter  and  during  the  next  Forty  Days  Ife 
appeared  at  intervals  to  his  disciples,  giving  them  many  infallible 
proofs  that  he  was  alive. 

(b)  At  the  end  of  the  Forty  Days,  while  he  was  with  his  disciples 
on  Olivet,  he  was  visibly  taken  up  into  heaven.  \ 

(c)  Thus  did  the  Light  of  the  world  shine  once  more  never  to 
be  extinguished,  and  thus  was  Jesus  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God 
with  power  (Rom.  1:4). 


SEVEN    LESSONS   ON    BIBLE    HISTORY  4I 

LESSON  XII 
THE  LIFE  OF  PAUL 

I.  The  greatest  of  the  early  disciples  of  Jesus,  and  the  one 

who  had  more  influence  than  any  other  in  extending  the  church 
and  determining  the  character  of  Christianity,  was  Saul  of  Tarsus, 
afterwards  known  as  Paul,  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles. 

II.  His  life  may  be  divided  into  four  periods: 

(i)  Before  his  Conversion  to  Christianity. 

(2)  His  Conversion  to  his  Missionary  Activity. 

(3)  His  Missionary  Activity  to  his  Arrest  at  Jerusalem. 

(4)  His  Arrest  at  Jerusalem  to  his  Death. 
(i)  Before  his  Conversion  to  Christianity. 

(a)  He  was  born  in  Tarsus  of  pure  Jewish  blood  (II  Cor.  ii :  22), 
a  Pharisee  (Acts  23:  6),  a  Roman  citizen  (Acts  22:  25),  educated  at 
Tarsus  and  at  Jerusalem  (Acts  22:3). 

(b)  He  was  bitterly  hostile  to  Christianity,  as  was  shown  by  his 
participation  in  the  stoning  of  Stephen  and  activity  in  the  subsequent 
persecution  of  the  disciples.  There  is  no  hint  that  he  ever  saw 
Jesus.  It  is  supposed  by  some  that  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Sanhedrin. 

(2)  His  Conversion  to  his  Missionary  Activity. 

While  he  is  still  a  young  man,  and  on  his  way  to  Damascus  from 
Jerusalem  to  persecute  the  Christians  he  is  suddenly  converted  to 
Christianity  by  a  vision  of  the  risen  Jesus.  He  proceeds  to  Damas- 
cus, where  he  is  baptized,  is  admitted  to  the  company  of  the  disciples, 
and  continues  with  them,  preaching  the  gospel,  until  he  is  driven 
from  the  city  by  his  unbelieving  countrymen.  He  flees  to  Jerusalem, 
and  thence  to  Tarsus.  There  and  elsewhere  in  Cilicia  and  Syria  he 
preaches  for  about  three  years.  Subsequently.  Barnabas  brings  him 
to  Antioch  to  assist  him  in  establishing  the  church  in  that  city 
(Acts  II :  25,  26). 

(3)  His  Missionary  Activity  to  his  Arrest  at  Jerusalem. 

For  about  ten  years,  from  A.  D.  48,  he  was  a  tireless  missionary. 
He  made  three  notable  missionary  journeys,  always  starting  from 
Antioch. 

The  first  was  taken  with  Barnabas  through  the  provinces  of  Asia 
Minor,  resulting  in  the  conversion  of  many  Gentiles  and  the  found- 


42  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


ing  of  many  churches,   c.   g.,  the  churches  of  Galatia    (Acts,   chs. 

13,  m). 

The  second  was  with  Silas  after  the  Council  of  Jerusalem, — 
which  gave  the  Gentiles  the  same  status  in  the  church  as  the  Jews, — 
in  which  they  visited  the  churches  of  Asia  Minor,  entered  Europe 
and  founded  among  others  the  churches  at  Philippi,  Thessalonica, 
and  Corinth  (Acts  15  :  36  to  18:  22), 

The  third  was  devoted  to  visiting  the  churches  already  founded, 
to  training  Christian  workers  at  Ephesus  for  evangelizing  other 
places,  and  to  collecting  offerings  for  the  poor  saints  at  Jerusalem 
(Acts  18:  23  to  21 :  16). 

(4)  His  Arrest  at  Jerusalem  to  his  Death. 

(a)  Having  brought  the  offering  to  Jerusalem,  he  is  beaten  by  a 
mob  of  Jews  in  the  temple,  is  imprisoned  by  the  Roman  captain, 
is  tried  before  the  Sanhedrin,  is  delivered  from  its  unjust  fury  by 
the  Roman  captain,  and  is  sent  to  Csesarea  in  order  to  thwart  a 
conspiracy  against  his  life,  all  within  twelve  days  (Acts  21 :  17  to 
23:35;  24:  II). 

(b)  At  Caesarea  he  is  brought  several  times  before  the  Roman 
governors,  Felix  and  Festus,  and  before  Herod  Agrippa,  but  is  un- 
able to  obtain  justice,  although  he  is  not  chargeable  with  wrong- 
doing. Hence,  he  appeals  to  Caesar  at  Rome,  which  he  as  a  Roman 
citizen  had  a  right  to  do  (Acts  24:  i  to  26 :  32). 

(c)  After  many  months  of  imprisonment  at  Csesarea,  he  is  sent 
with  other  prisoners  to  Rome,  whither  he  arrives  after  a  perilous  and 
eventful  voyage  (Acts  27:  i  to  28:  15). 

(d)  His  case  does  not  come  on  for  two  years,  and  in  the  mean- 
time he  is  allowed  liberty  to  preach  to  all  who  care  to  come  to  him 
(Acts  28:  16-31).     This  is  as  far  as  the  biblical  narrative  brings  us. 

(e)  The  date  of  Paul's  death  is  uncertain;  we  are  sure  only  of 
this,  that  he  suffered  martyrdom  at  Rome  under  Nero.  There  is  a 
tradition  accepted  by  many,  though  of  doubtful  credibility,  that  he 
was  released  at  the  end  of  two  years,  and  made  a  journey  into  Spam, 
thence  returned  to  Asia  Minor,  where  he  was  re-arrested,  hurried 
to  Rome,  and  after  a  brief  imprisonment  was  beheaded. 

III.  Paul's  influence  in  determining  the  extent  and  character  of 
Christianity  both  in  his  own  generation  and  for  all  time  was  due  in 
a  preeminent  degree  to  his  letters,  of  which  we  have  thirteen  pre- 
served to  us. 


SEVEN    LESSONS   ON    BIBLE    HISTORY  43 

LESSON  XIII 

THE  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH 

I.  When  our  Lord  ascended  he  left  no  organization  to  per- 
petuate his  work,  nor  did  he  leave  with  his  disciples  instructions 
with  reference  to  the  constitution  and  development  of  such  an 
organization.  He  left  the  twelve  apostles,  whom  he  had  particularly 
trained  for  the  continuance  of  his  work,  and  who  with  other  disciples 
subsequently  became  the  nucleus  of  the  Christian  Church. 

IL  As  time  passed,  the  number  of  disciples  increased,  new 

communities  and  conditions  were  met.  new  problems  emerged,  and  in 
their  effort  to  solve  these  problems  and  meet  the  conditions  the 
disciples  were  led  to  form  an  organization,  which,  gradually  and  with- 
out apparent  design  on  the  part  of  man  and  under  the  guidance 
of  the  divine  Spirit,  became  the  highly  organized  Christian  Church 
of  later  history. 

III.  The  history  of  the  Church  covered  by  the  New  Testament 
extends  from  the  Ascension  of  Christ  to  the  Death  of  John, 

the  last  of  the  apostles,  a  space  of  seventy  years,  which  may  be 
divided  into  four  periods : 

(i)   The  Christian  Church  in  Jerusalem. 

(2)  The  Christian  Church  in  Judcea  and  Samaria. 

(3)  The  Transition  from  Jewish  to  Universal  Christianity. 

(4)  The  Christian  Church  in  all  the  World. 

(i)  The  Christian  Church  in  Jerusalem   (Acts,  chs.  1-7). 

(a)  Before  Pentecost,  there  were  one  hundred  and  twenty  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus,  men  and  women  in  Jerusalem,  who  met  for  prayer, 
and  who  in  other  ways  revealed  a  sense  of  community  of  feeling 
and  of  interest  (Acts  i :  12-26). 

(b)  At  Pentecost,  May  27,  A.  D.  30,  the  Christian  Church  was 
born  in  a  great  miracle  (the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit),  a  great 
sermon  (by  Peter),  and  a  great  revival  (three  thousand  were  added 
to  the  company  of  disciples).  These  three  characteristics  have 
marked  the  subsequent  progress  of  the  church  : 

The  Holy  Spirit  in  receptive  men. 

The  preaching  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 


44  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


The  winning  of  new  disciples  through  the  combined  power  of  the 
truth,  of  believers,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

(c)  After  Pentecost,  this  first  Christian  community  was  char- 
acterized by : 

Apostolic  teaching. 

Social  worship. 

Celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Temple  worship. 

Gladness. 

Simplicity. 

Good  repute. 

Growth. 

Community  of  goods  (Acts  2 :  43-47)  • 

A  consciousness  of  its  own  independence  and  emancipation  from 
the  Jewish  Church  (Acts  4:  13-31)- 

Internal  differences  and  increased  organization  (Acts  6:  1-6). 

Opposition  and  persecution,  which  led  to  the  stoning  of  Stephen, 
the  first  Christian  martyr,  the  dispersion  of  the  disciples  from 
Jerusalem  and  the  spread  of  Christianity  throughout  the  Roman 
Empire  (Acts  6 :  8  to  8 :  i ;  11 :  19) 

(2)  The  Christian  Church  in  Judaea  and  Samaria   (Acts,  ch.  8). 
Through  the  preaching  of  Philip  and  others,  Who  were  driven  out 

of  Jerusalem  by  the  persecution  that  arose  about  Stephen,  many 
disciples  were  won  in  this  region,  and  with  the  sanction  of  the 
apostles  churches  were  organized. 

(3)  The  Transition  from  Jezcish  to  Universal  Christianity. 

The  Christian  Church  was  to  be  not  a  Jewish  sect  but  a  Catholic 
Church,  therefore  it  must  do  an  effective  work  among  the  Gentiles 
and  must  admit  Gentiles  to  the  same  standing  as  the  Jews.  This 
transition  must  be  made  without  breaking  with  the  past;  must  be  a 
development,  not  a  revolution.  This  transition  was  effected  through 
a  series  of  important  events  (Acts,  chs.  9-12). 

The  call  of  Paul  to  be  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles. 

The  selection  of  Antioch  as  a  new  center  of  Christian  ac- 
tivity. 

The  winning  of  the  first  Gentile  converts  by  Peter  and  the  formal 
recognition  of  them  by  the  mother  church. 

(4)  The  Christian  Church  in  all  the  World. 

(a)  With  its  enlarged  life  and  vision,  the  church  at  Antioch  under 
the   divine   guidance   of   its   able  leaders,   especially  of   Paul    (Acts 


SEVEN    LESSONS   ON   BIBLE    HISTORY  45 


13:1-4),  began  those  missionary  activities,  which  won  Asia  Minor 
and  southern  Europe  to  Christ. 

(b)  The  internal  development  of  the  church  in  the  unfolding  of 
its  life  under  apostolic  direction  and  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  indicated  in  the  epistles  of  Paul  and  others  in  the  New 
Testament. 

(c)  Tradition  says  that  through  the  labors  of  the  apostles  and 
their  companions  Egypt,  northern  Africa,  Abyssinia,  Arabia, 
Mesopotamia,  and  even  India  and  China  heard  the  gospel,  and  that 
before  the  death  of  John,  the  last  of  the  apostles,  about  A.  D.  lOO, 
the  same  was  true  of  all  the  world. 


SECOND   TERM— PART   I 

FIVE   LESSONS    ON    THE    LANDS    OF   THE   BIBLE 

Lesson    I.  The  Old  Testament  World. 

II.  The  New  Testament  World. 

III.  Palestine :  Facts  concerning. 

IV.  Palestine :  The  Physical  Divisions. 

V.  Palestine :  The  Political  Divisions. 


lESSON  I 

THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  WORLD 

The  Old  Testament  World  extended  about  one  thousand  four  hun- 
dred miles  east  and  west,  and  about  one  thousand  miles  north  and 
south. 

1.  Canaan,  the  little  country  bordering  on  the  Mediterranean 
Sea,  was  the  center  of  interest.  The  boundaries  of  other  countries 
were  fixed  by  Jehovah  with  reference  to  the  Land  of  Promise 
(Deut.  32 :  8).  Jerusalem,  the  chief  city,  was  "set  in  the  midst  of  the 
nations"  (Ezek.  5:5).  The  principal  cities  and  towns  of  Canaan 
were  as  follows: 

Jerusalem,  the  Holy  City,  was  built  upon  several  hills  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Judah.  It  was  thirty-two  miles  from  the  Sea  and  twenty- 
four  miles  from  the  Jordan.  Here  David  ruled  over  the  united 
people  of  Israel  (II  Sam.  5:6-9).  Here  Solomon  built  the  temple 
and  ruled  as  king  (II  Chron.,  chapters  1-7).  It  was  afterwards  the 
capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah. 

Hebron,  twenty  miles  south  of  Jerusalem.  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob  were  often  here  and  at  Beer-sheba  (Gen.  21 :  31-34),  thirty 
miles  farther  southwest.  Near  Hebron  is  the  cave  of  Machpclah, 
where  these  three  patriarchs  were  buried  (Gen.  49:31).  Hebron 
was  a  city  of  refuge  (Josh.  20:  7).  David  reigned  here  seven  years 
and  six  months  over  the  tribe  of  Judah  (II  Sam.  2:  i),  and  here  he 
was  anointed  king  of  all  Israel  (II  Sam,  5:3). 

Bethel,  ten  miles  north  of  Jerusalem,  where  God  appeared  to  Jacob 
(Gen.  28:11;  35:15),  and  where  Jeroboam  established  idolatry 
(I  Kings  12:  32). 

Gilgal,  the  first  encampment  of  Israel  in  Canaan  (Josh.  4:19). 
Here  stones  from  the  Jordan  were  placed  as  a  memorial  (Josh.  4 : 
20).     It  was  a  station  in  Samuel's  judicial  district  (I  Sam.  7:  16). 

Shiloh,  twenty  miles  north  of  Jerusalem,  where  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  was  kept  from  Joshua's  time  till  the  days  of  Samuel  (Josh. 
18:  I ;  I  Sam.  4:4). 

Shechem,  thirty  miles  north  of  Jerusalem,  was  a  city  of  refuge 
(Josh.  21 :2i).  Here  Joshua's  last  address  was  delivered  (Josh.,  ch. 
24),  and  here  Jeroboam  reigned  over  the  kingdom  of  Israel  (I  Kings 
12:25).     It  is  now  called  Nablous. 

49 


50  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

Samaria,  five  miles  northwest  of  Shechem,  was  built  by  King  Omri 
(I  Kings  16:24),  and  became  the  capital  of  the  ten  tribes. 

Jopf^a  was  the  chief  seaport  (Jon.,  ch.  i;  II  Chron.  2:  16;  Acts 
9:36). 

II.  Chaldea  was  separated  from  Canaan  by  the  Arabian  Desert. 
Babylon,  the  capital,  was  on  the  Euphrates  River,  five  hundred  and 

fifty  miles  east  of  Jerusalem.  The  city  formed  an  exact  square,  six- 
teen miles  on  each  side.  Its  walls  were  eighty-seven  feet  thick,  three 
hundred  feet  high,  and  pierced  by  one  hundred  gates  of  solid  brass. 

It  was  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Babylon,  who  took  the  children 
of  Israel  into  captivity  (Jer.  21 :  7;  Dan.  1:1). 

The  Garden  of  Eden  and  the  Tower  of  Babel  were  possibly  located 
in  Chaldea. 

Ur,  of  the  Chaldees,  was  the  early  home  of  Abraham. 

III.  Persia  was  east  of  Chaldea,  and  was  about  eight  hundred 
miles  from  Jerusalem. 

Media  and  Elam  were  united  to  the  Persian  Empire  (Esther 
1 :  2,  3).  The  Persian  capital,  Sliushan,  was  in  the  province  of  Elam. 
Here  Daniel  served  as  prime  minister  of  the  Persian  Empire.  Here 
Esther  lived  as  the  queen  of  Ahasuerus,  and  later  Nehemiah  was 
cupbearer  of  the  king  in  the  same  palace  (Neh.  i :  i ;  2:  i). 

By  direction  of  the  king  of  Assyria  the  captive  Israelites  were 
placed  in  the  provinces  of  Media  and  Elam  (II  Kings  17 -6). 

IV.  Assyria  was  north  of  Chaldea  and  Elam. 

Nineveh,  the  great  city  and  capital  to  which  Jonah  was  sent 
(Jon.),  was  located  on  the  Tigris,  six  hundred  miles  from  Jeru- 
salem. Like  Babylon  and  Shushan,  Nineveh  became  an  utter  ruin, 
but  excavations  have  revealed  the  former  splendors  of  these  cities. 

V.  Mesopotamia  was  located  between  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates 
west  of  Assyria.     It  is  also  called  Padan-aram  (Gen.  25:  20). 

Haran,  the  capital  city,  was  the  stopping  place  of  Abraham  when 
with  his  father  he  journeyed  from  Chaldea  toward  Canaan  (Gen. 
11:31). 

VI.  Armenia  was  situated  north  of  Mesopotamia  and  about  six 
hundred  miles  northeast  from  Jerusalem.  The  name  Armenia  is 
sometimes  translated  Ararat.  It  is  thought  to  be  the  place  where 
Noah's  Ark  rested  after  the  f^ood  (Gen.  8:4). 


TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


VII.  Syria  was  west  of  Mesopotamia  and  in  the  line  of  travel 
between  the  Euphrates  and  the  Sea. 

Damascus,  the  capital,  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  north  of 
Jerusalem,  and  was  built  on  an  oasis  in  the  desert,  fertilized  by  the 
waters  of  the  Abana  and  Pharpar  (II  Kings  5:  12).  It  was  the 
home  of  Naaman  whom  Elisha  healed  of  leprosy  (II  Kings  5:  14), 
and  was  the  city  to  which  Saul  of  Tarsus  was  journeying  when  con- 
verted.    Damascus  is  now  the  oldest  city  of  modern  times. 

VIII.  Egypt,  the  land  of  Hebrew  bondage,  was  situated  two 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  southwest  of  Jerusalem.  Abraham  came 
here  in  time  of  famine  (Gen.  12:  10).  Jacob  and  his  family  emi- 
grated to  this  country  and  were  given  the  land  of  Goshen. 

On,  or  Heliopolis,  was  the  home  of  Joseph's  father-in-law  (Gen. 
41:45),  and  here  it  is  thought  Moses  attended  school.  Remains  of 
a  great  university  have  been  found  in  this  place. 

The  Israelites  built  treasure  cities  for  Pharaoh,  Pithom  and 
Raamses  (Ex.  i:  11).     Explorers  have  located  these  in  recent  years. 

Alexandria,  the  modern  capital,  is  on  the  Mediterranean  Sea. 

LESSON  II 

THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  WORLD 

New  Testament  Geography  embraces  Palestine,  Syria,  Asia 
Minor,  Macedonia,  Greece,  and  Italy. 

The  important  places  in  these  lands  may  be  conveniently  grouped 
in  two  divisions,  those  visited  by  our  Lord,  and  those  visited  by 
Paul. 

I.  Places  visited  by  Jesus: 

Bethlehem,  where  he  was  born  (Matt.  2:1),  was  located  on  a 
hill  six  miles  south  of  Jerusalem.  This  was  also  the  birthplace  and 
early  home  of  David  (I  Sam.  17:  12).  Here  Ruth  and  Naomi  lived 
(Ruth  1:22),  and  near  this  place  Rachel  was  buried  (Gen.  35:  19). 
Bethlehem  is  now  a  prosperous  Christian  village  with  a  population  of 
eight  thousand  people. 

Nazareth,  where  he  spent  his  boyhood  and  early  manhood  (Luke 
4:  16).  It  nestles  in  a  cup-shaped  valley  in  the  mountains  of  Galilee, 
seventy  miles  north  of  Jerusalem.  Early  in  his  ministry  Jesus 
preached  here  and  was  rejected   (Luke  4:16-29;   Matt.   13:56-58). 


FIVE    LESSONS    ON    THE    LANDS    OF    THE    BIBLE  53 

The  most  interesting  object  in  modern  Nazareth  is  the  Fountain 
of  the  Virgin,  to  which  Jesus  and  Mary  must  often  have  come. 
The  population  is  six  thousand,  and  like  Bethlehem  it  is  a  Christian 
village. 

Bethany,  where  Jesus  was  baptized  by  John  (John  1:28  A.  R.), 
was  on  the  Jordan  River. 

Cana,  where  he  performed  the  first  miracle  (John  2:1).  "At  the 
wedding  of  a  humble  pair  he  adorned  and  beautified  the  holy  estate 
of  matrimony."     Cana  was  a  short  distance  north  of  Nazareth. 

Sychar  (John  4:5).  Here  at  Jacob's  Well  Jesus  conversed  with 
the  woman  of  Samaria  (John  4:6).  The  distance  from  Jerusalem 
was  thirty  miles. 

Nain,   in    Galilee,    where    Jesus    raised    the    widow's    son    (Luke 

7:  II-I5)- 

Capernaum,  our  Lord's  home  during  the  Galilaean  ministry,  was 
ninety  miles  northeast  from  Jerusalem,  at  the  north  end  of  the  Sea 
of  Galilee,  whose  waters  were  "plowed  by  four  thousand  vessels  of 
every  description  from  the  war  vessel  of  the  Romans  to  the  rough 
fisher  boats."  He  taught  in  the  Capernaum  synagogue  (John  6:  59), 
and  wrought  many  miracles   (Mark  1:21-34), 

Bethsaida  and  Chorazin  (Matt.  ii:2i>  were  situated  near  Caper- 
naum, Magdala,  on  the  southwest  border  of  the  lake  (Matt.  15:  39), 
and  Dalmanutha  one  mile  farther  south  (Mark  8:  10).  Bethsaida- 
Julias  and  Gadara  (Luke  9:  10-17;  8:26)  were  on  the  east  side. 

Jericho,  seventeen  miles  northeast  of  Jerusalem.  Here  Jesus 
healed  the  blind  man  (Luke  18:35-43),  and  saved  Zacchaeus  (Luke 
19:  i-io).  The  city  was  prominent  in  Old  Testament  times 
(Josh.,  ch.  6). 

Bethany,  on  the  Mount  of  Olives.  Jesus  was  often  entertained 
here  at  the  home  of  Mary  and  Martha  (Luke  10:38-42).  Here  he 
raised  Lazarus  from  the  dead   (John,  ch.  11). 

Jerusalem,  where  he  taught,  wrought  miracles,  was  falsely  accused 
and  condemned. 

Emmaus,  to  which  he  went  with  two  disciples  on  the  resurrection 
morning  (Luke  24:  13-15). 

Fizr  mountains  of  Jesus'  ministry: 

Quarantania.  near  Jericho  and  the  Jordan,  is  the  mount  of  Christ's 
temptation  (Matt.,  ch.  4). 

Horns  of  Hattin,  a  mountain  near  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  is  the  tradi- 
tional mount  of  the  Beatitudes  (Matt.  5:1). 


54  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


Mount  Tabor  (Jer.  46:18),  in  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  is  the 
traditional  mount  of  the  Transfiguration,  but  this  theory  has  been 
abandoned.  Mount  Hcnnon,  in  the  north,  being  now  regarded  as 
the  place  (Matt.,  ch.  17). 

Mount  Calvary,  a  small  skull-shaped  hill  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Jerusalem  walls,  was  the  place  of  the  Crucifixion. 

Mount  of  Olives,  on  the  east  side  of  the  city,  is  the  Mount  of  the 
Ascension. 

II.  Foreign  lands  visited  by  Paul: 

The  First  Journey.  Paul  and  Barnabas,  having  been  set  apart  as 
foreign  missionaries,  started  from  Antioch  in  Syria,  and,  going  to 
the  seaport  of  Seleucia,  sailed  for  the  island  of  Cyprus.  They 
preached  in  Salamis  and  Paphos,  and  thence  sailed  for  Asia  Minor. 
Landing  at  Perga,  they  went  up  to  Antioch  in  Pisidia.  After  preach- 
ing there  they  turned  eastward  to  Iconium  and  Lystra,  where  Paul 
was  stoned,  and  went  to  Derbe.  Thence  they  retraced  their  steps 
and  came  again  to  Antioch  in  Syria  (Acts  13:  i  to  14:  26). 

The  Second  Journey.  Silas  was  Paul's  companion  on  this  jour- 
ney. They  started  north  from  Antioch,  and  visited  the  churches  at 
Derbe  and  Lystra,  where  Timothy  joined  them.  Then  they  went 
westward  through  Phrygia  and  Galatia,  and  were  led  of  the  Spirit  to 
Troas  on  the  coast  of  the  ^gean  Sea.  By  a  vision  they  were  called 
into  Europe.  They  came  first  to  Neapolis  in  Macedonia,  preached 
in  Philip  pi,  where  Lydia  and  the  jailer  were  converted,  and  passed 
through  Amphipolis,  Apollonia,  Thessalonica,  and  Bercea.  Thence 
they  proceeded  to  Athens  and  Corinth.  After  that  they  sailed  to 
Ephesus  and  from  there  to  Jerusalem,  ending  their  tour  at  Antioch 
(Acts  15:  z^  to  18:  22). 

The  Third  Journey.  Paul  visited  the  churches  in  Galatia  and 
Phrygia  and  came  to  Ephesus,  where  he  labored  for  more  than  two 
years.  Then  he  passed  over  to  Macedonia  and  to  Greece,  where  he 
remained  three  months.  He  visited  the  church  at  Philip  pi,  then 
crossed  the  sea  to  Troas  and  Assos.  He  sailed  along  the  sea  to 
Mitylene,  Chios,  Trogyllium,  and  Miletus,  where  he  bade  farewell  to 
the  Ephesian  elders  and  sailed  for  Tyre,  thence  he  came  to  Ptolemais, 
to  Ccesarea,  and  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  was  made  a  prisoner  (Acts 
18:22  to  21 :  17). 

The  Journey  to  Rome.  Paul  was  taken  to  Ccrsarca  where  he 
remained  in  prison  two  years.    He  appealed  his  casQ  to  Caesar  anci 


56  TEACHER-TRAINING    COURSE 

was  taken  under  guard  to  Rome.  The  vessel  stopped  at  Sidon  and 
passed  by  Cyprus.  At  Myra  they  changed  ships.  They  passed  by 
Crete,  were  driven  many  days  by  a  tempest  and  wrecked  on  the 
island  of  Melifa.  Another  ship  carried  them  to  Syracuse,  they  came 
to  Rhegium,  landed  at  Puteoli,  and  traveled  by  land  to  Ronw  (Acts 
23:31  to  28:  14). 

LESSON  III 
PALESTINE:    TACTS  CONCERNING 

I.  Its  Name.  It  has  been  called  "The  Lord's  Land"  (Hos.  9:3), 
"The  Land  of  Promise"  (Heb.  11:9),  "The  Holy  Land"  (Zech. 
2:12),  "The  Pleasant  Land"  (Dan.  8:9).  Generally,  however,  it 
was  one  of  the  following : 

Canaan  before  it  became  the  home  of  God's  people  (Gen,  16:3^ 
17:8). 

Israel  from  the  conquest  till  the  Babylonian  captivity  (II  Kings 
5:2). 

Judcca  after  the  Babylonian  captivity  (Neh.  5:  14;  Mark  1:5). 

Palestine  since  the  days  of  Christ.  Palestine  is  the  same  word  as 
Philistia.  It  was  first  used  for  the  country  of  the  Philistines. 
Josephus  applied  it  to  the  whole  land. 

II.  Its  Position.  Palestine  was  the  center  of  the  ancient  world 
(Ezek.  5:5),  the  "high  bridge"  connecting  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa. 
It  was  near  the  great  nations  of  Egypt  and  Assyria  that  Israel  might 
observe  their  manners  and  be  helped  by  that  civilization  that  was 
worthy  of  imitation.  It  was  favorably  located  for  a  rapid  spread  of 
the  gospel  to  centers  of  influence  when  the  missionary  era  should 
come. 

It  was  separated  by  natural  barriers  from  the  surrounding  coun- 
tries. Though  near  other  nations,  Israel  was  thus  kept  apart  from 
them  that  the  people  might  be  peculiarly  under  the  training  of 
Jehovah  (Num.  23:9;  Deut.  33:28).  The  Mediterranean  Sea  and 
the  harborless  coast  guarded  the  west.  The  Lebanon  mountains 
defended  the  north.  The  deep  Jordan  Valley  and  the  Arabian  Desert 
protected  the  east,  and  the  dry  barren  desert  was  on  the  south. 
The  land  was,  therefore,  both  "near  to  and  aloof  from"  the  world's 
activities,  where  the  people  could  "at  once  enjoy  communion   with 


FIVE    LESSONS    ON    THE    LANDS    OF    THE    BIBLE  57 


God  and  yet  behold  the  events  that  were  occurring  around  them." 
*'There  is  no  land  which  is  so  much  a  sanctuary  and  an  observatory 
as  Palestine." 

III.  Its  Extent.  As  promised  to  Abraham  and  to  Moses,  the 
land  was  to  extend  to  the  Euphrates  River  (Gen.  15:  18;  Ex.  23:  31). 
The  dominion  of  David  and  Solomon  reached  that  limit  for  a  short 
time  (I  Kings  4:21;  II  Chron,  9:26).  The  Jordan  River  is  now 
generally  regarded  as  the  eastern  limit.  Palestine  of  to-day  is  about 
the  size  and  shape  of  New  Hampshire,  the  Connecticut  River  an- 
swering to  the  Mediterranean.  The  distance  north  and  south  from 
Dan  to  Beer-sheba  is  about  one  hundred  and  forty  miles ;  the 
distance  east  and  west  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Jordan  is 
about  twenty  miles  in  the  north  and  seventy-five  to  eighty  miles 
in  the  south,  the  average  width  being  about  forty  miles. 

IV.  Its  Climate  and  Productions.  The  climate  of  Palestine 
varies  from  the  tropical  heat  of  the  Dead  Sea  region  to  the  frigid 
cold  of  snow-capped  Mount  Hermon. 

The  year  is  divided  into  the  wet  and  dry  seasons.  From  the 
middle  of  October  till  the  middle  of  March  rains  are  frequent,  but 
not  continuous.  During  March  and  early  April  there  are  occasional 
showers.  From  May  until  October  the  sky  is  cloudless,  but  heavy 
dews  fall. 

The  winds  of  Palestine  are  of  great  importance.  In  the  winter 
the  prevailing  winds  are  from  the  v/est,  and  coming  damp  from  the 
sea  they  touch  the  cold  mountains  and  heavy  rains  fall  upon  the 
land  (Luke  12:54).  "In  summer  the  winds  blow  chiefly  from  the 
drier  northwest  and  meeting  only  warmth  do  not  cause  showers, 
but  greatly  mitigate  the  heat.  The  north  wind  blows  chiefly  in 
October  and  brings  dry  cold."  The  south  winds  bring  intense  heat 
and  often  clouds  of  fine  sands  from  the  desert  (Luke  12:  55). 

In  Bible  times  the  harvests  were  abundant.  It  was  a  land  flowing 
with  milk  and  honey.  Wheat,  barley,  and  other  grains  were  plentiful 
(Deut.  8:7-9).  The  vegetable  gardens  produced  lentils  (Gen. 
25:34),  cucumbers,  melons,  leeks,  onions,  garlic,  beans  (II  Sam. 
17:28),  pulse,  millet.  The  orchards  provided  apricots,  figs,  oranges, 
citron,  pomegranates,  mulberries,  pistachio,  almond,  and  walnuts. 
Flowers  of  rarest  beauty  were  found  in  every  valley  and  on  every 
plain. 


58 


TEACHER-TRAIXIXG   COIT.FE 


LESSON  IV 

PALESTINE:    THE  PHYSICAL  DIVISIONS 

The  land  is  divided  into  four  parallel  sections: 
I.  The  Mediterranean  Plain  is  a  low,  flat  strip  of  land  extend- 
ing from  Mount  Carmel  on  the  north  to  the  southern  end  of  Pales- 
tine, six  miles  broad  at  Carmel,  and  gradually  widening  till  at 
Joppa  it  is  twelve  miles,  and  farther  south  thirty  miles  wide.  North 
of  Joppa  it  is  called  the  Plain  of  Sharon  (Isa.  35 :  2 ;  Song  of  Solo- 
mon 2:1).  "The  whole  maritime  plain  possesses  a  quiet  but  rich 
beauty.  The  land  is  chocolate  brown.  Over  its  wide  expanse,  in 
the    spriuQ:,    a    million    flowers    are    scattered,— poppies,    pimpernels, 

anemones,  the  con- 
volvulus, the  mal- 
low, the  narcissus, 
the  blue  tris-roses 
of  Sharon,  and  the 
lilies  of  the  valley." 
This  is  one  of 
the  oldest  high- 
zvays  of  the  world. 
It  was  the  path  of 
commerce  between 
Egypt  and  As- 
syria ;  the  great 
caravans  would 
pass  up  the  plain 
as  far  as  Carmel,  then  turning  northeast  would  move  through  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon  up  to  Damascus,  thence  southeast  to  Assyria. 

It  was  also  a  renowned  warpath.  Up  and  down  this  coast-plain 
the  great  armies  of  the  old  world  passed.  Sennacherib  the  Assyrian, 
Alexander  of  Macedon,  Pompey,  Titus,  Saladin,  Napoleon,  all  led 
their  armies  over  this  highway.  The  Israelites  were  rarely  disturbed, 
however,  because  their  mountain  home  was  inaccessible  from  the 
coast-plain. 

II.  The  Hill  Country  runs  parallel  with  the  Mediterranean 
Plain,  and  is  separated  from  it  by  the  Shcphclah  or  low  hills,  "a  rough 


THE  PLAIN  OF  ESURAELON   AS   IT   NOW   APPEARS 


FIVE    LESSONS    ON    THE    LANDS    OF    THE    BIBLE  59 


happy  land  with  glens  and  moors  and  brushwood  and  barley  fields." 
It  was  the  scene  of  Samson's  exploits. 

From  Hebron  in  the  south  to  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon  is  a  moun- 
tainous district  eighty  miles  long  by  thirty  miles  wide,  with  an 
average  height  of  two  thousand  two  hundred  feet ;  the  lower  half  of 
this  territory  was  called  the  mountains  of  Judali,  the  upper  the 
mountains  of  Ephraim.  Here,  in  the  center  of  the  land  were  mounts 
Ehal  and  Gcvizim,  where  the  blessings  and  cursings  of  the  law  were 
read  in  the  hearing  of  all  the  people  (Deut.,  ch.  2y;  Josh.  8:32-35). 
A  spur  from  mount  Ephraim  running  northwest  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean is  called  Carmcl 

North  of  the  mountains  of  Ephraim  lies  the  famous  valley  of 
Esdraelon,  also  called  the  valley  of  Jezreel.  It  was  the  battlefield  of 
Canaan,  where  Gideon  won  his  great  victory  (Jud.  6:32),  where 
Ahab  defeated  the  Syrians  (I  Kings  20:29),  where  King  Josiah 
was  slain  (II  Kings  23:29).  This  valley  is  twenty  miles  long  by 
ten  miles  wide. 

On  the  southeast  of  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon  is  Mount  Gilboa,  where 
Saul  and  Jonathan  were  slain  (I  Sam.  31:  1-6).  North  of  Gilboa  is 
Mount  Tabor,  where  Barak  assembled  his  army  for  the  attack  upon 
Sisera  (Jud.,  ch.  4).  On  the  extreme  north  are  the  mountains  of 
Lebanon,  two  parallel  ranges  nine  thousand  feet  high.  It  was  here 
that  David  got  cedars  for  his  palace,  and  Solomon  for  the  temple 
(II  Chron.,  chs.  2,  8,  16).  South  of  these  ranges  stands  Mount 
Hermon,  ten  thousand  feet  high. 

All  the  cities  of  the  Israelites  were  in  the  hill  country.  They 
never  occupied  the  plains  or  valleys.  God's  i.eopIe  lived  on  the 
mountains,  the  heathen  in  the  valleys. 

III.  The  Jordan  Valley  consists  of  a  plain  five  or  six  miles 
wide  and  the  Jordan  River,  which  extends  the  length  of  the  land. 
The  sources  of  the  Jordan  are  three  or  four  little  streams  that 
descend  from  the  Lebanon  mountains  and  empty  into  the  Waters 
of  Merom,  thence  flowing  into  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  also  called  Sea  of 
Tiberias  and  Lake  of  Gennesaret,  which  is  twelve  miles  long,  with  an 
average  width  of  six  miles.  Leaving  the  lake  the  Jordan  flows 
through  the  land  and  empties  into  the  Dead  Sea,  forming  a  body  of 
water  forty  miles  long  and  ten  miles  wide.  This  remarkable  sea 
receives  six  million  tons  of  water  every  day  and  has  no  outlet.  Here 
the   water   becomes   heavy,   oily,   and  briny,     'Tt   is    famous    for   its 


6o  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


density,  its  bitterness,  and  its  buoyancy."  The  Jordan  Valley  forms 
a  trench  which  at  the  Dead  Sea  lies  one  thousand  two  hundred  and 
ninety-two  feet  below  the  sea  level. 

IV.  The  Eastern  Table-Land  is  the  elevated  district  east  of  the 
Jordan  River.  The  northern  part  was  called  the  hill  of  Bashan  (Ps. 
68:15).  Here  were  many  famous  oak  trees  (Isa.  2:13).  It  was 
also  a  rich  pastoral  region.  South  of  Bashan  was  Gilead,  famous 
for  its  balsams.  This  was  the  home  of  Jephthah  the  judge,  and 
Elijah  the  prophet.  In  the  time  of  Christ  part  of  this  region  was 
known  as  Pcrcca,  and  was  visited  by  our  Lord.  South  of  Gilead  was 
the  land  of  Moah.  Here  were  Mount  Pisgah  from  which  Moses 
saw  the  promised  land  and  where  he  died  (Deut.  34:1-6)  and 
Mount  Peor  connected  with  the  story  of  Balaam  (Num.  23:28). 

LESSON  V 
PALESTINE:    THE   POLITICAL   DIVISIONS 

I.  Before  the  Conquest  the  inhabitants  were  chiefly  descendants 
of  Ham. 

(i)  The  Canaanitcs  (lowlanders)  occupied  the  Mediterranean 
Plain,  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon,  and  the  Valley  of  the  Jordan  (Gen. 
10:  18,  19).  The  Canaanites  of  the  Jordan  Valley  built  a  circle  of 
cities  at  the  north  end  of  the  Dead  Sea ;  among  these  were  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah. 

(2)  The  Philistines  were  a  Canaanite  tribe  occupying  the  lower 
part  of  the  Mediterranean  Plain,  where  they  built  hve  great  cities, 
Gath,  Ashkelon,  Ashdod,  Gaza,  and  Ekron. 

(3)  The  Phwnicians,  another  tribe,  occupied  the  plain  north  of 
Carmel,  and  established  two  strong  commercial  cities,  Tyre  and 
Sidon. 

(4)  The  Amorites  (highlanders)  occupied  the  hills  east  of  the 
Jordan  (Deut.  3:8;  Josh.  9:  10),  and  the  highlands  in  the  eastern 
part  of  southern  Canaan  w^est  of  the  Jordan.  Among  the  most 
famous  Amorites  were  Og,  king  of  Bashan,  and  Sihon,  king  of 
Heshbon. 

(5)  The  Anakim   (giants)  dwelt  near  Hebron   (Josh.  11:21). 

(6)  Tlie  Ilorites,  as  their  name  indicates,  were  dwellers  in 
caves. 


FIVE    LESSONS   ON   THE    LANDS   OF   THE   BIBLE  6l 


(7)  The  Periz.ziics  (farmers)  dwelt  in  the  plains  of  lower  Galilee 
(Gen.  13:7). 

(8)  The  Jehusitcs  were  dwellers  in  Jebus,  afterwards  called 
Jerusalem   (Josh.  15:63;  I  Chron.  11:4-7). 

(9)  The  Hivites  (villagers)  dwelt  in  the  mountains  of  Ephraim 
and  also  near  Mount  Hermon  (Josh.  11:3;  Jud.  2>'-3)-  They  were 
the  earliest  inhabitants  of  Shechem,  Kirjath-jearim,  and  Gibeon. 

(10)  The  Hittites  lived  in  the  mountains  of  Judaea  and  in  the  far 
north  (Josh.  1:4).  Esau  married  a  Hittite  woman,  and  two  of 
David's  generals,  Uriah  and  Ahimelech,  were  Hittites. 

II.  After  the  Conquest  by  Joshua  the  land  was  divided  among 
the  tribes  of  Israel. 

(i)  Two  and  a  half  tribes,  Reuben,  Gad,  and  half  of  Manasseh, 
were  placed,  by  their  own  request,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Jordan. 
These  tribes  were  shepherds  and  desired  the  rich,  roomy  fields  for 
their  flocks  and  herds.  Manasseh  occupied  the  north.  Gad  the 
center,  and  Reuben  the  south. 

(2)  The  tribes  on  the  west  of  Jordan  were  placed  as  follows: 
Judah  had  the  south  land  with  Simeon  on  the  west,  little  Benjamin 
north,  and  Dan,  another  small  tribe,  west  of  Benjamin.  Ephraim 
and  Manasseh  occupied  the  rich  central  territory.  Issachar, 
Zehulon,  Ashcr,  and  Naphtali,  occupied  the  north. 

III.  Under  the  Kings.  When  the  kingdom  was  divided,  the 
country  north  of  Bethel  and  Jericho  fell  to  the  kingdom  of  Israel, 
and  that  south  became  the  kingdom  of  Judah.  The  tribes  of  Ben- 
jamin and  Judah  formed  the  southern  kingdom.  Simeon  was  actu- 
ally a  part  of  this  kingdom,  but  it  had  become  so  insignificant  that 
it  was  counted  with  the  ten  tribes  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel. 

IV.  In  the  New  Testament  Period  the  land  was  divided  into 
five  provinces,  three  on  the  west,  and  two  on  the  east,  of  Jordan. 

(i)  Galilee  was  the  name  given  to  the  northern  Province  west  of 
the  Jordan  (Matt,  4:  12).  This  name  had  been  applied  to  a  little 
circle  (Galil,  a  circle)  of  cities  given  by  Solomon  to  Hiram,  king  of 
Tyre,  in  return  for  his  services  in  furnishing  timber  for  the  temple 
(I  Kings  9:11).  In  course  of  time  the  entire  north  section  was 
called  Galilee.     It  had  a  mixed  population  of  Jews  and  Gentiles. 

(2)  Samaria  means  a  watch  mountain,  and  was  first  applied  to  a 
high    hill     standing    in     the     midst    of    a    valley    near     Shechem. 


62  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


Eventually  the  surrounding  district  was  called  Samaria  (John, 
chap.  4).  The  inhabitants  were  descended  from  Assyrians  and  Jews 
who  had  intermarried  (II  Kings  17:24-29). 

(3)  Judcea  was  the  southern  district  and  was  the  strictly  Jewish 
section  of  the  land. 

(4)  Percua    was    the    region    east    of    Jordan    referred    to    in    the 
Gospel  of  Matthew  (4:25). 

(5)  Bashan  was  the  province  north  of  Persea  spoken  of  as  Philip's 
Tetrarchy  (Luke  3:  i). 


SECOND  TERM— PART  II 

FOUR   LESSONS    ON    BIBLE    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS 

Lesson  Vt.  The  Tabernacle. 

VII.  The  Temple  and  the  Synagogue. 

VIII.  Sacrifices  and  Feasts. 

IX.  Jewish  Institutions. 


LESSON  VI 

THE  TABERNACLE 

The  Altar  was  the  earliest  meeting  place  between  God  and  man. 
In  antediluvian  and  patriarchal  times  it  consisted  of  a  heap  of 
stones  or  a  mound  of  earth.  To  such  places  of  worship  Cain  and 
Abel,  Noah  and  Abraham,  brought  their  offerings  (Gen.  4:3,  4; 
8:20;  12:7,  8). 

The  Tabernacle  was  the  central  place  of  worship  frori  the 
Exodus  until  the  building  of  Solomon's  temple — about  five  hun- 
dred years  (I  Kings  6:  i).  About  one-third  of  the  book  of  Exodus 
is  devoted  to  a  description  of  the  tabernacle  and  its  appliances.  The 
great  importance  of  the  tabernacle  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  it  fur- 
nished an  illustration  of  the  way  of  approach  by  sinful  man  to  a 
holy  God.     The  pattern  of  the  tabernacle  was  divine  (Ex.  25:40). 

I.  The  Name.  It  is  called  "The  Tabernacle  of  the  Congrega- 
tion" (Ex.  29:  10,  30,  etc.),  more  properly  in  the  Revised  Version, 
"The  Tent  of  Meeting."  It  was  the  meeting  place  between  God 
and  man.  "There  I  will  meet  with  thee,"  etc.  (Ex.  25:22).  The 
tabernacle  was  God's  dwelling  place,  and  was  always  "in  the  midst" 
of  the  tribes  (Num.,  chs.  2  and  10;  Psalm  46:  5). 

II.  The  Frame.  This  consisted  chiefly  of  forty-eight  boards 
(Ex,  26:  15-29).  These  boards  were  eighty-five  feet  long  (counting 
the  cubit  at  eighteen  inches),  two  feet  three  inches  wide,  and 
according  tc  Jewish  tradition  nine  inches  thick.  They  were  made 
of  acacia  wood,  were  overlaid  with  gold,  set  up  on  sills  or  sockets 
of  silver  which  were  made  out  of  the  ''atonement  money"  (Ex. 
38:25-27).  They  were  held  together  by  five  gold-plated  bars  on 
each  of  the  three  sides  of  the  tabernacle.  Four  of  these  bars  were 
held  in  place  by  rings  or  staples;  the  middle  bar  was  made  "to  shoot 
through  the  boards  from  the  one  end  to  the  other"  (Ex.  26:28; 
36:33).  The  most  natural  interpretation  of  this  specification  is 
that  the  boards  were  mortised  and  that  the  middle  bar  passed 
through  these  mortises. 

III.  The  Coverings.     These  were  four  in  number  (Ex.  26:  1-14)  : 
(i)  Fine    linen    curtains,    on    which    were    wrought    figures    of 

65 


66  TEACHER-TRAINING    COURSE 


cherubim,  constituted  the  ceihng  as  seen  from  within  the  taber- 
nacle. The  colors  of  these  curtains  were  blue,  purple,  and  scarlet. 
There  were  five  of  them,  each  forty-two  feet  long  and  six  feet  wide. 

(2)  Curtains  of  goats'  hair.  There  were  eleven  of  these,  forty-five 
feet  long  and  six  feet  wide.  Both  the  linen  and  the  goats'  hair 
curtains  extended  over  the  sides  of  the  tabernacle. 

(3)  A  covering  of  ranis'  skins  dyed  red. 

(4)  A  covering  of  badgers'  skins  (R.  V.  "sealskins,"  possibly  the 
dolphin  of  the  Red  Sea), 

The  last  two  coverings  formed  a  secure  protection.  They  were 
obtained  through  the  death  of  animals  and  therefore  symbolized 
the  sure  protection  of  all  who  trust  to  the  atoning  blood.  The 
priests  who  ministered  under  the  figures  of  the  cherubim  on  the 
inner  curtains  were  always  under  the  shadow  of  God's  wings,  a 
favorite  figure  among  devout  Hebrews  (Ruth  2:12;  Psalms  17:8; 
57: i;  91:  i). 

Were  these  coverings  stretched  flat  across  the  boards,  or  were 
they  supported  by  a  ridge  pole  in  the  center?  Ex.  40:  19  seems  to 
favor  the  latter  view:  "And  he  spread  abroad  the  tent  over  the 
tabernacle,  and  put  the  covering  of  the  tent  above  upon  it." 

IV.  The  Compartments.  There  were  two  rooms  in  the  taber- 
nacle— the  Holy  Place  and  the  Most  Holy,  which  were  separated  by 
a  veil  (Ex.  26:33).  Like  the  oracle  of  the  temple,  the  inner  room 
of  the  tabernacle  was  probably  a  perfect  cube,  fifteen  feet  each  way 
(I  Kings  6:20).  This  room,  so  perfect  in  form,  symbolized  heaven, 
while  the  outer  room  represented  the  church  upon  earth. 

V.  The  Court.  The  tabernacle  proper  was  surrounded  by  a 
court,  or  yard,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  and  seventy-five  feet 
wide  (Ex.  27:9-18).  It  was  inclosed  by  linen  curtains  seven  and 
one-half  feet  high,  supported  by  twenty  brazen  pillars  on  each 
of  the  longer  sides,  ten  pillars  on  the  west  end.  and  six  pillars  on 
the  east  end,  there  being  an  opening  in  this  end  twenty  cubits  wide. 
The  idea  of  scparatcness  ran  through  the  entire  structure  of  the 
tabernacle.  Into  the  court  the  congregation  of  Israel  might  enter, 
into  the  holy  place  only  the  priests  were  admitted,  and  into  the 
most  holy  only  the  high  priest  on  the  day  of  yearly  atonement. 

VI.  The  Furniture.     In  the  court  of  the  tabernacle  stood: 

(i)    Ihe  altar  of  burnt  offering.     It  was  situated  just  witliin  the 


FOUR   LES;'OXS    OX    BIBLE    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS 


07 


1 


entrance  to  the  court.  It  was  seven  and  one-half  feet  square  and 
four  and  one-half  feet  high.  The  frame  was  overlaid  with  bronze. 
It  had  a  grating,  ash  pans,  etc.  Its  daily  ofiferings  symbolized 
atonement  and  consecration.     Find  its  description  in  Ex.  27:  1-8. 

(2)  The  Laver  (Ex.  30:  17-21).  It  stood  between  the  altar  of 
burnt  offering  and  the  tabernacle  door.  It  was  constructed  out  of 
the     women's     bronze     mirrors 

(Ex.  38:8).  The  washings  in 
this  layer  symbolized  regenera- 
tion   (Tit.  3:5). 

Within  the  first  room  of  the 
tabernacle  stood : 

(3)  TJw  golden  candlestick. 
For  its  description  see  Ex.  25 : 
31-33.  It  stood  on  the  south 
side     of     the     tabernacle     (Ex. 

26:35)- 

(4)  The  table  of  shoivhread. 
This  was  on  the  north  side  of 
the  same  apartment.  For  its  de- 
scription and  use  see  Ex.  25 : 
23-30. 

(5)  The  golden  altar  of  in- 
cense. This  symbolized  prayer, 
and  stood  close  by  the  veil  (Ex. 
30:  i-io). 

In   the   holy   of   holies   stood : 

(6)  The  ark  of  the  covenant 
(Ex.  25:10-22).  It  was  over- 
shadowed by  the  cherubim.  The 
covering  of  the  ark  constituted 
the  mercy  seat  where  God  met 
with  man. 

GROUND  PLAN  OF  THE  TABERNACLE 

VII.  The  Arrangement  of 
the  Furniture.  The  parts  were  so  arranged  as  to  illustrate  how 
sinful  man  may  draw  near  to  God — through  atonement  for  sin, 
regeneration,  illumination  by  God's  truth  and  Spirit,  feeding  upon 
the  bread  of  life,  praying  with  all  prayer  and  supplication.  Draw  a 
line  from  the  altar  of  burnt  offering  to  the  mercy  seat,  intersect  this 


OLA^^I^ 


□ 


68  TEACHER-TRAINING    COURSE 


by  another  joining  the  candlestick  and  the  table,  and  you  have  the 
outline  of  a  cross.  The  way  of  the  cross  is  the  way  of  approach 
to  the  throne  of  grace. 

VIII.  The  Cost.  Dr.  Kitto  estimated  the  cost  of  the  entire 
tabernacle  at  not  less  than  $1,250,000.  Nearly  thirty  talents  of  gold, 
more  than  one  hundred  talents  of  silver,  and  more  than  seventy 
talents  of  brass  were  employed  (Ex.  38:  24-31). 


LESSON  VII 

THE  TEMPLE  AND  THE  SYNAGOGUE 

I.  THE  TEMPLE 

I.  Its  History.  Its  erection  was  David's  thought  (II  Sam.  7:  2). 
The  plan  was  divine  (I  Chron.  28:  12).  The  building  was  Solomon's 
work.  The  foundation  of  his  temple  was  laid  four  hundred  and 
eighty  years  after  the  Exodus  (I  Kings  6:1).  It  was  dedicated 
seven  years  later  (I  Kings  6:38).  Its  site  was  the  threshing- 
floor  which  David  purchased  from  Araunah  (I  Chron.  21:18-30; 
22:1).  This  temple  was  destroyed  by  the  Chaldeans  587  B.  C. 
The  cornerstone  of  the  second  temple  was  laid  537  B.  C,  the 
second  year  after  Zerubbabel's  return  (Ezra  3:8).  The  building 
was  completed  twenty  years  later,  seventy  years  after  the  destruction 
of  the  first  temple  (Ezra  6:  15).  Herod  the  Great  began  to  rebuild 
this  temple  20  B.  C,  having  gathered  the  materials  before  the  old 
building  was  torn  down,  a  pledge  to  the  Jews  that  the  temple  would 
be  rebuilt.  The  main  structure  was  completed  in  eighteen  months, 
but  additions  continued  to  be  made  as  late  as  A.  D.  64.  In  A.  D. 
26  the  Jews  said  to  Jesus,  "Forty  and  six  years  was  this  temple  in 
building"  (John  2:20).  This  temple  was  destroyed  by  the  Romans 
A.  D.  70. 

II.  The  Plan.  The  general  plan  of  the  temple  corresponded  to 
that  of  the  tabernacle.  There  was  an  open  court  surrounding  the 
building  proper,  in  which  were  two  principal  compartments,  the  Holy 
Place  and  the  Most  Holy.  The  dimensions  of  these  rooms  in  Solo- 
mon's temple  were  double  those  of  the  tabernacle  (I  Kings  6:2). 
The  dimensions  of  the  second  temple  were  greater  than  those  of  the 
first  (Ezra  6:3).     Surrounding  the  two  principal  rooms  were  series 


FOUR   LESSONS   ON    BIBLE    WORSHIP   AND    CUSTOMS  69 


of  chambers,  which  were  probably  occupied  by  the  priests  and  other 
temple  ministers.  As  in  the  tabernacle  the  two  principal  rooms  were 
separated  by  the  costly  and  curiously  wrought  veil  or  curtain. 
Mention  is  made  of  only  two  courts  in  the  description  of  Solomon's 
temple,  the  court  of  the  priests  and  the  great  court  (II  Chron.  4:9). 
The  descriptions  given  by  Josephus  indicate  that  there  were  three 
courts  attached  to  Herod's  temple. 

(i)  The  court  of  the  Gentiles,  the  great  court  surrounding  the 
temple  and  its  inclosures. 

(2)  The  court  of  the  women. 

(3)  The  court  of  the  priests. 

The  court  of  the  Gentiles  was  separated  from  the  inner  inclosures 
by  a  stone  balustrade,  with  pillars  bearing  the  announcement :  "No 
stranger  is  to  enter  within  the  balustrade  and  embankment  around 
the  sacred  place.  Whoever  is  caught  will  be  answerable  for  his 
death,  which  will  ensue."  One  of  these  pillars  was  discovered  by 
the  French  consul,  Clermont-Ganneau,  in  1870.  It  is  now  preserved 
in  the  Imperial  Museum  in  Constantinople. 

III.  The  rurniture.  Find  descriptions  in  I  Kings,  ch.  7  and  II 
Chron.,  ch.  4. 

1.  Contents  of  the  court  (II  Chron.  4:  1-6). 

(a)  The  brazen  altar,  thirty  feet  square  and  fifteen  feet  high 
(II  Chron.  4:1). 

(b)  The  molten  sea,  fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  seven  and  one-half 
feet  deep,  resting  upon  twelve  oxen.  Some  supposed  that  the  water 
with  which  this  sea  was  kept  filled  was  discharged  by  pipes  through 
the  oxen's  mouths. 

(c)  Ten  lavers  with  their  bases  or  stands.  These  bases  were 
mounted  on  wheels.  The  water  in  the  lavers  was  used  for  washing 
the  flesh  of  the  sacrifices,  which  explains  their  being  made  movable; 
that  in  the  molten  sea  was  for  the  priests  to  wash  in  (II  Chron.  4:6). 

2.  Contents  of  the  Holy  Place  (II  Chron.  4:  19-22). 

(a)  Ten  golden  candlesticks,  five  on  each  side  of  the  room.  They 
furnished  the  only  light  in  the  temple  proper. 

(b)  Ten  tables  of  showbread,  similarly  arranged. 

(c)  The  golden  altar  of  incense. 

3.  Contents  of  the  Most  Holy  Place.  The  ark  of  the  covenant,  the 
ark  which  was  made  in  the  days  of  Moses.  This  was  wanting  in 
the  second  temple. 


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COURT 

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GENTILES 


APPROXIMATE  PLAN  OF  HEROD  S  TEMPLE  AND  ITS  COURTS 


FOUR   LESSONS    ON    BIBLE    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOAIS  J I 

IV.  The  Purpose  of  the  Temple.  In  general  this  was  the  same 
as  the  purpose  of  the  tabernacle.  It  taught  the  way  of  approach  to 
God  through  atonement,  intercession,  etc.  The  rooms  of  the  temple 
were  separated  by  a  veil,  indicating  that  the  way  into  the  holiest  was 
not  yet  fully  opened.  There  was  this  difference  between  the  design 
of  the  tabernacle  and  that  of  the  temple — the  former  symbolized  God's 
dwelling  in  the  midst  of  his  church  during  its  early  existence,  the 
temple  more  directly  foreshadowed  the  grandeur  and  glory  of  its 
heavenly  estate. 

II.  THE  SYNAGOGUE 

I.  The  Name.  The  term  synagogue  means  a  coming  together, 
or  assembling.  This  verbal  form  is  found  in  Heb.  10:25:  "For- 
sake not  the  assembling  of  yourselves  together."  The  Emperor 
Augustus  called  the  synagogue  "Sabbeion,"  a  Sabbath-keeping, 
because  the  Jews  always  assembled  in  it  on  the  Sabbaths.  The 
term  synagogue  is  first  found  in  Psalm  74:  8. 

II.  The  Origin.  It  dates  from  the  time  of  the  captivity  of  the 
Jews  in  Babylon.  Deprived  of  the  temple  services,  places  of  wor- 
ship were  instituted  in  the  land  of  their  captivity.  The  Jewish  rabbis 
saw  in  this  a  fulfillment  of  Ezek.  11 :  16:  'T  will  be  to  them  as  a  little 
sanctuary  in  the  countries  where  they  shall  come."  So  helpful  did 
they  find  the  synagogue  services  that  these  were  continued  in  all 
parts  of  the  land  after  they  returned  to  Palestine,  and  wherever  the 
Jews  were  established  in  later  ages.  Even  in  Jerusalem  there  are  re- 
ported to  have  been  from  three  hundred  and  ninety  to  four  hundred 
and  eighty  synagogues  prior  to  its  destruction  by  the  Romans. 
Find  reference  to  the  synagogues  of  the  Libertines.  Cyrenians. 
Alexandrians,  Silicians,  and  Asians  in  Acts  6 : 9.  Jesus  taught  in 
the  synagogues  of  Nazareth.  Capernaum,  and  other  towns  in  Gali- 
lee. Mention  is  made  of  synagogues  in  nearly  all  places  visited  by 
the  apostles  and  other  missionaries. 

III.  The  Architecture  and  Furniture.  The  synagogue  build- 
ings were  usually  rectangular  in  style.  In  Palestine  their  longest 
dimensions  were  from  north  to  south,  the  entrance  being  on  the 
side  nearest  Jerusalem.  In  other  lands  they  seem  to  have  taken  a 
different  direction  owing  to  their  situation  in  relation  to  Jerusalem. 


•JZ  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

The  furniture  of  the  synagogue  was  plain,  consisting  chiefly  of  a 
pulpit  and  a  chest  in  which  were  kept  the  sacred  rolls.  The  sup- 
posed ruins  of  a  synagogue  in  Capernaum  indicate  that  the  building 
had  been  a  substantial  stone  structure 

IV.  Membership  and  Officials.  At  least  ten  men  were  required 
to  constitute  a  congregation  in  any  locality.  Women  were  not 
counted  as  members,  but,  as  in  modern  churches,  were  often  the 
more  numerous  attendants.  The  principal  official  was  the  ruler  of 
the  synagogue,  who  presided  at  all  meetings,  calling  on  those  who 
took  part  and  directing  the  services,  much  like  the  leader  of  the 
modern  prayer  meeting.  There  was  also  the  "minister"  or  "at- 
tendant," who  had  charge  of  the  building,  the  sacred  rolls,  etc., 
(see  Luke  4:20).  This  official  was  often  the  synagogue  school- 
master. 

V.  The  Services.  These  consisted  of  the  chanting  of  psalms, 
prayers,  reading  of  Scripture,  and  addresses,  either  by  the  ruler 
of  the  synagogue  or  by  persons  whom  he  named.  Visitors  of 
renown  were  often  called  upon  to  address  the  people.  See  Acts 
13 :  15.  Regular  lessons  were  assigned  from  the  law  and  the 
prophets  which  were  read  usually  by  members.  The  rabbis  pre- 
scribed that  on  the  Sabbaths  seven  men  should  take  part  in  the 
meetings,  on  festival  days  five  men,  on  the  day  of  atonement  six, 
etc.  The  readings  were  followed  by  words  of  exposition  or  ex- 
hortation. 

VI.  Uses  of  the  Synagogue.  During  week  days  a  school  of 
instruction  was  maintained  in  it,  the  Jewish  Scriptures  being  the 
principal  subject  of  study.  From  numerous  references  in  the  New 
Testament  the  synagogue  seems  to  have  been  also  a  place  of  trial 
and  punishment.  See  Matt.  10:  17;  23:24;  Mark  13:9;  Acts  26:  11. 
The  establishment  of  the  synagogue  was  one  of  the  great  provi- 
dential means  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel.  It  furnished  an  open- 
ing for  its  heralds  wherever  it  went.  Thus  we  read  of  the  apostles 
teaching  in  the  synagogues  at  Damascus.  Salamis,  Antioch, 
Tconium,  Ephesus.  Thessalonica.  Beroea,  Athens,  Corinth,  etc.^ 
(Acts  9:  20;  13:  5;  13:  14;  14:  i;  16:  13;  17:  I ;  17:  10;  17:  17;  18:  4-7; 
18:  19).  The  synagogue  also  furnished  a  pattern  for  religious 
services  during  the  Christian  dispensation. 


FOUR   LESSONS   ON    BIBLE    WORSHIP    AND   CUSTOMS  73 


LESSON  VIII 
SACRIFICES  AND  FEASTS 

I.     SACRIFICES 

The  offering  of  sacrifices  seems  to  have  begun  at  Eden's  gate. 
The  skins  from  which  God  made  coats  for  our  first  parents  were 
probably  obtained  from  animals  which  had  been  offered  in  sacrifice 
(Gen  3:  21).  God  not  only  made  coats  for  them,  but  he  put  them 
on  Adam  and  Eve,  suggesting  that  through  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus 
Christ  he  has  provided  a  perfect  righteousness,  and  also  that  by  his 
grace  he  puts  this  covering  upon  all  who  receive  him.  The  sacri- 
fices continued  by  Adam  and  his  family  were  doubtless  by  divine 
appointment.  So  also  were  the  sacrifices  offered  by  Noah.  Abra- 
ham, and  other  patriarchs.  The  exodus  from  Egypt  was  marked 
by  the  sacrifice  of  the  paschal  lamb,  its  blood  being  sprinkled  upon 
the  doorposts  of  the  Hebrew  houses.  When  the  people  of  Israel 
reached  Mount  Sinai  a  general  sacrifice  was  there  made  after  the 
giving  of  the  law,  when  both  the  representatives  of  the  people 
and  the  book  of  the  covenant  were  sprinkled  with  blood  (Ex. 
24:5-11).  After  the  erection  of  the  tabernacle  sacrifices  were  con- 
tinually offered  on  the  altar  of  burnt  offering.  The  fire  upon  this 
altar  was  never  to  go  out.  When  the  first  offerings  were  laid  upon 
that  altar  they  were  consumed  with  fire  which  came  from  heaven 
(Lev.  9:  24).  Several  specific  offerings  are  described  in  the  Levit- 
ical  order: 

I.  The  Burnt  Offering  (Lev.  i:  17).  The  offering  itself  was  to 
be  taken  either  from  the  herd  or  the  flock,  and  must  be  without 
blemish.  It  must  be  brought  of  the  offerer's  voluntary  will.  A 
distinguishing  feature  of  this  offering  was  that  it  was  entirely  con- 
sumed with  fire.  The  offerer  laid  his  hands  upon  the  head  of  the 
victim,  signifying  the  confession  and  the  transferring  of  guilt.  This 
offering  also  signified  the  entire  dedication  of  the  life  to  God. 
From  that  well-known  custom  Paul  drew  his  exhortation  in  Rom. 
12 :  I,  *T  beseech  you  therefore,  brethren  .  .  ,  that  ye  present  your 
bodies,''  etc. 

II.  The  Meal  Offering  (Lev.,  ch.  2,  R.  V.,  A.  V.,  "Meat  Offer- 
ing").    This  offering  consisted  of  fine  flour,  oil,  and  frankincense, 


74  TEACHER-TRAINING    COURSE 

always  mingled  with  salt.  It  might  consist  of  unleavened  cakes  or 
parched  grains.  A  handful  of  the  oblation  was  to  be  burned  as  an 
offering  to  the  Lord,  with  all  the  frankincense.  The  remainder  be- 
longed to  the  priest.  This  offering  seems  to  have  been  preceded  by 
a  burnt  offering  (compare  Num.  15:3,  4;  28:11-13;  29:13,  14). 
The  meal  offering  was  chiefly  a  thank  offering,  mingled  with 
prayer,  as  expressed  by  the  frankincense. 

III.  The  Peace  Offering.  (Lev.,  ch.  3).  Part  of  the  flesh  of  this 
offering  was  burnt  upon  the  altar  (Lev.  3:  14),  part  was  given  to 
the  priests  (Lev.  7:  14),  and  part  was  eaten  by  the  worshiper  and 
his  friends  (Lev,  7:16-18).  This  offering  was  expressive  of  peace 
and  good  will,  peace  with  God  and  men. 

IV.  The  Sin  Offering  (Lev.,  ch.  4).  This  offering  made  provision 
for  satisfaction  for  sins  which  were  unknowingly  committed,  such 
as  fraud,  oppression,  or  robbery.  The  law  first  required  restitu- 
tion for  the  wrong  done,  one-fifth  to  be  added  to  the  amount 
wrongfully  taken  (Lev.  6:5).  Then  a  ram  without  blemish  was 
brought  to  the  altar  and  slain,  its  blood  sprinkled  upon  the  altar  and 
portions  of  the  sacrifice  burned  upon  the  altar.  The  remainder  fell 
to  the  priests. 

V.  The  Trespass  Offering  made  especial  provision  for  cases  in 
which  one  had  wronged  another.  He  was  required  to  make  restitu- 
tion for  the  wrong  done,  adding  one-fifth,  and  should  also  bring 
sacrifices  to  the  altar  (Lev.  6:  1-7).  The  offering  specially  illus- 
trates and  emphasizes  our  Lord's  injunction  in  Matt.  5:  24. 

VI.  The  Solemn  Atonement  (Lev.,  ch.  16).  The  offerings  of  the 
great  day  of  atonement  were  of  peculiar  importance.  It  was  the 
most  solemn  day  in  the  Hebrew  calendar..  A  bullock  was  offered 
for  a  sin  offering  for  the  high  priest  and  his  house  (v.  6).  Two 
he-goats  were  presented  for  a  sin  offering,  and  a  ram  for  a  burnt 
offering.  One  of  the  goats  was  offered  as  a  sin  offering,  the  other 
was  led  into  the  wilderness;  the  former  symbolizing  satisfaction 
for  sin,  the  other  the  bearing  away  of  guilt.  With  blood  of  the 
sin  offering  and  burning  incense  the  high  priest  entered  the  most 
holy  place,  where  he  sprinkled  the  blood  on  the  mercy  seat,  and 
burned  the  incense  before  it.  As  the  tables  of  the  Law  were  in  the 
ark,  beneath  the  mercy  seat,  the  sprinkling  of  the  blood  symbolized 
the  covering  of  the  broken  law.     The  incense  was  burned  on  coals 


FOUR   LESSONS   ON   BIBLE   WORSHIP   AND   CUSTOMS  75 

taken  from  the  altar  of  burnt  offering,  which  symbolized  that  atone- 
ment is  the  basis  of  acceptable  intercession.  The  whole  ritual  of 
that  day  symbolized  the  atonement  and  intercession  of  Jesus  our 
great  High  Priest.     See  Hebrews  9:  24-28. 

VII.  The  Water  of  Cleansing.  The  offering  was  a  red  heifer 
which  had  never  borne  the  yoke  (Num.,  ch.  19).  She  was  slain  with- 
out the  camp.  Her  blood  was  sprinkled  toward  the  tabernacle  seven 
times,  then  her  flesh  was  burned  with  cedar  wood,  hyssop,  and 
scarlet.  The  ashes  were  laid  in  a  clean  place.  Then,  when  one 
had  become  ceremonially  unclean,  some  of  these  ashes  were  min- 
gled with  water  and  sprinkled  upon  the  unclean  person,  who  used 
a  bunch  of  hyssop.  This  furnishes  the  key  to  the  prayer  in  Ezek. 
36 :  25 :  "I  will  sprinkle  clean  [cleansing]  water  upon  you."  There 
was  the  same  efficacy  in  the  ashes  as  in  the  blood  of  a  fresh  sacri- 
fice. This  ordinance  illustrated  the  perpetual  cleansing  virtue  of 
the  blood  of  Jesus,     See  Hebrews  9:  13,  14. 

H.    RELIGIOUS    FEASTS 

Find  the  general  calendar  for  these  in  Lev.,  ch,  23.  See  how 
the  number  seven  runs  through  the  list — seven  days,  seven  weeks, 
the  seventh  month.  The  weekly  Sabbath  furnished  the  basis. 
The  law  of  the  Sabbath  was  instituted  in  Eden  (Gen.  2:3),  and 
was  therefore  intended  for  the  whole  race.  It  was  also  incorporated 
into  the  Hebrew  laws. 

I.  The  Passover.  This  began  on  the  fourteenth  day  in  the  first 
month,  the  first  full  moon  after  the  vernal  equinox.  It  began  with 
the  sacrificing  and  eating  of  the  paschal  lamb.  The  festival  con- 
tinued seven  days,  during  which  no  leaven  was  to  be  used;  hence, 
it  was  also  called  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread.  It  commemorated 
the  deliverance  from  Egypt  and  foreshadowed  the  greater  redemp- 
tion through  Christ  our  Passover  (I  Cor.  5:7). 

II.  The  Offering  of  the  First  Fruits  (Lev.  23:9-14^  This 
occurred  "on  the  morrow  after  the  Sabbath"  following  the  observ- 
ance of  the  passover.  The  first  ripe  sheaf  from  the  harvest  was 
brought  in  and  waved  before  the  Lord.  If  the  slaying  of  the 
passover  lamb  foreshadowed  the  death  of  Christ,  the  presenting  of 
this  sheaf  prefigured  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  the  first  fruits  from 
the  dead. 


76  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


III.  Pentecost.  Seven  weeks  were  counted  from  the  day  when 
these  first  fruits  were  presented.  On  the  morrow  after  this  seventh 
Sabbath  the  feast  of  weeks,  or  Pentecost,  was  observed.  Two 
loaves  of  bread,  made  of  fine  flour,  were  presented  unto  the  Lord. 
These  loaves  represented  the  completed  fruits  of  the  harvest. 
The  significance  of  this  festival  is  found  in  the  outpouring  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  on  the  great  day  of  Pentecost  (Acts  2:  i-ii).  In  the 
observance  of  these  two  festivals  "on  the  morrow  after  the  Sab- 
bath'' was  there  not  also  a  prefiguring  of  the  change  of  the  Sab- 
bath to  the  first  day  of  the  week? 

IV.  The  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  This  was  ushered  in  by  the 
solemn  atonement^  which  was  made  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  sev- 
enth month  (Lev.  23:34).  The  feast  of  tabernacles  began  on  the 
fifteenth  day  of  the  same  month  and  continued  eight  days.  During 
its  observance  the  people  lived  in  booths  or  tents,  a  reminder  of 
the  tent  life  in  the  wilderness.  Find  the  peculiar  laws  for  the 
sacrifices  of  the  feast  of  tabernacles  in  Num.  29:  13-24. 

I,  III,  and  IV  were  the  three  great  festivals  which  all  Hebrew  men 
were  required  to  attend  (Deut.  16:  16).  In  later  periods  there  were 
added: 

V.  The  Feast  of  Purim,  which  commemorated  the  deliverance 
wrought  through  Esther's  heroic  efforts  (Esth.  9:  26-32).  It  was 
observed  on  the  13th  and  14th  of  the  month  Adar,  the  twelfth 
month  of  the  Hebrew  year — February-March — about  one  month 
before  the  passover. 

VI.  The  Feast  of  Dedication  commemorated  the  cleansing  of 
the  temple  and  the  rebuilding  of  the  altar  after  Judas  Maccabseus 
had  driven  out  the  Syrians.  It  is  mentioned  only  once  in  the 
canonical  Scriptures,  John  10:22.  It  was  observed  on  the  25th 
of  the  month  Chisleu,  the  ninth  Hebrew  month  (November-De- 
cember). 

LESSON  IX 

JEWISH  INSTITUTIONS 

I.  Sabbath-keeping.  This  was  not  a  distinctly  Jewish  in- 
stitution. In  Gen.  2:  1-3  and  in  Ex.  20:  11,  the  Sabbath  is  declared 
to  be  a  memorial  of  the  finished  work  of  creation.  That  the  Sabbath 
was  observed  in  the  days  of  Noah  appears  from  the  recognition  of 


FOUR  LESSONS   ON   BIBLE   WORSHIP   AND   CUSTOMS  ']'J 


the  weekly  division  of  time  (Gen.  8;  lo,  12).  The  Sabbath  is  men- 
tioned in  Ex.  16:23  and  20:11,  not  as  a  new  institution,  but  as 
one  already  in  existence.  Yet  the  Sabbath  served  a  special  purpose 
among  the  Jews.  It  was  a  sign  that  they  were  God's  covenant 
people  (Ex.  31:  13,  17;  Ezek.  20:  12,  20).  Strict  laws  were  given 
concerning  it,  with  severe  penalties,  that  they  might  not  be  robbed 
of  their  rich  inheritance.     See  Isa.  58 :  13,  14. 

II.  The  Sabbatic  Year  (Lev.  25:  1-7).  The  law  required  that 
the  land  should  rest  during  this  year.  Prior  to  the  captivity  in 
Babylon  this  law  was  not  faithfully  observed,  and  this  is  assigned 
as  one  of  the  reasons  for  the  captivity  (Jer.  25:  9;  II  Chron.  36:  21). 
It  was  plainly  foretold  that  disobedience  in  this  matter  would  be 
punished  with  captivity  that  the  land  might  have  her  rest  (Lev. 
26:33-36).  Neither  nations  nor  individuals  can  attempt  to  rob 
God  without  suffering  the  penalty.  , 

Closely  related  to  the  law  of  the  Sabbatic  year,  though  not  directly 
connected  with  it,  was  the  law  which  required  every  Hebrew  bond- 
servant to  be  set  free  at  the  end  of  six  years  of  servitude  (Ex. 
21:1-6).  In  case  the  servant  refused  to  be  set  free,  voluntarily 
choosing  to  remain  with  his  master,  he  was  brought  to  the  door  of 
the  house  and  his  ear  bored  through  with  an  awl — a  sign  of  perpetual 
servitude.  This  law  furnished  the  key  to  Psalm  40:6:  ''Mine  ears 
hast  thou  opened"— literally,  "bored."  The  Psalmist  declares  his 
purpose  to  serve  the  Lord  forever.  So  does  everyone  who  has  been 
redeemed.  "I  am  thy  servant;  thou  hast  loosed  my  bonds"  (Ps. 
116:  16).  In  gratitude  for  such  a  redemption  the  renewed  soul  binds 
itself  to  the  perpetual  service  of  the  Redeemer. 

III.  The  Year  of  Jubilee  (Lev.  25:8-16,  23-55).  Every  Ameri- 
can should  be  familiar  withv  the  proclamation  of  this  year: 
"Proclaim  liberty  throughout  the  land  unto  all  the  inhabitants 
thereof"  (Lev.  25:10).  This  is  the  inscription  on  the  old  Liberty 
Bell.     The  law  provided  three  things : 

(i)   Rest  for  the  land  and  its  inhabitants. 

(2)  Restoration  of  forfeited  inheritances. 

(3)  Liberation  of  bondslaves. 

This  law  provided  a  peculiar  land  system  for  the  Jews.  Having 
received  their  titles  from  God  they  were  not  permitted  to  sell  their 
land  outright.     But  one  might  lease  or  mortgage  his  inheritance  until 


78  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


the  succeeding  year  of  Jubilee,  when  it  returned  to  the  family  of  the 
original  owner.  This  law  worked  no  injustice,  for  the  lessee  or 
mortgagee  was  familiar  with  the  law  and  could  easily  calculate  the 
time  until  the  next  Jubilee.  The  law  prevented  the  centralization 
of  property,  and  provided  for  its  continued  equal  distribution  among 
the  people.  It  provided  also  against  oppression  of  man  by  his  fel- 
low-man. There  is  no  direct  evidence  that  this  law  was  observed, 
but  that  it  was  to  some  extent  at  least  seems  to  be  implied  in  Ezek. 
46:  17  and  Isa.  61:1,  2.  A  woe  is  pronounced  on  thos^  who  added 
house  to  house  and  field  to  field,  in  Isa.  5 :  8.  Naboth's  refusal  to 
sell  his  vineyard  to  Ahab  was  founded  on  the  law  which  prohibited 
the  alienation  of  property  (I  Kings  21  :  3  compared  with  Lev.  25  :  23). 
Forfeited  estates  might  be  redeemed  at  any  time  if  the  original 
owners  or  their  kinfolk  were  able  to  do  so.  Thus  Boaz  redeemed 
the  property  of  Elimelech  (Ruth  4:  i-ii).  Our  Lord  used  the  year 
of  Jubilee  to  illustrate  the  character  of  his  mission  (Luke  4:  18,  19). 
He  was  anointed  to  proclaim  rest,  liberty,  and  restoration  to  a  for- 
feited inheritance.  The  year  of  Jubilee  was  ushered  in  on  the  day 
of  atonement  by  the  blowing  of  trumpets.  The  blessings  of  re- 
demption spring  from  his  atonement  and  are  proclaimed  by  the 
gospel  trumpet. 

IV.  The  Cities  of  Refuge  (Num.,  ch.  35  and  Josh.,  ch.  20). 
From  the  days  of  Noah  the  law  of  capital  punishment  was  in  force 
(Gen.  9:6).  To  prevent  this  law  from  becoming  the  occasion  for 
family  feuds  the  Hebrew  system  of  refuge  for  the  manslayer  was 
provided. 

(i)  The  purpose.  It  was  not  to  screen  the  guilty  from  justice, 
but  to  afford  protection  for  the  innocent;  also  to  lift  the  infliction 
of  punishment  out  of  the  status  of  the  mere  gratification  of  per- 
sonal revenge  into  the  unimpassioned  exercise  of  justice. 

(2)  Their  number  and  location.  There  were  six  of  these  cities, 
three  on  either  side  of  the  Jordan,  Kadesh  among  the  mountains  of 
Naphtali,  Shechem  in  the  center  of  the  land,  Hebron  twenty-two 
miles  south  of  Jerusalem.  Bezer,  Ramoth-gilead,  and  Golan,  east 
of  the  Jordan  were  similarly  located.  The  distance  from  Hebron 
to  Shechem  was  fifty-two  miles.  The  half-way  point  could  be 
reached  within  a  day's  travel.  This  was  about  the  average  distance 
they  were  apart.  The  purpose  was  so  to  distribute  them  that  they 
could  be  readily  reached  by  those  who  had  need  of  them.     Paths 


FOUR   LESSONS   ON   BIBLE   WORSHIP   AND   CUSTOMS  79 


leading  to  them  were  kept  open  and  guideboards  marked  out  the 
way. 

(3)  Rules  for  their  government  (Num.  35:15-34).  These  pro- 
vided for  the  trial  of  every  man  who  fled  to  the  city  for  refuge.  If  it 
could  be  proven  that  he  had  intentionally  committed  the  homicide  he 
was  to  be  put  to  death  by  the  avenger  of  blood — the  nearest  of  kin 
to  the  dead  man.  No  ransom  was  to  be  accepted  for  his  life.  If 
it  could  be  proven  that  the  manslayer  had  cherished  no  enmity,  but 
had  been  guilty  only  of  unintentional  homicide,  even  then  there  was 
a  restriction  put  upon  his  liberty,  while  at  the  same  time  provision 
was  made  for  his  protection.  He  was  required  to  remain  in  the 
city  of  refuge  until  the  death  of  the  high  priest.  If  he  went 
outside  its  walls  it  would  be  at  his  own  risk. 

(4)  The  higher  refuge.  This  system  of  protection  furnished  a 
basis  for  the  representation  of  God  as  the  refuge  of  his  people,  so 
frequently  found  in  the  Psalms,  the  prophets,  and  elsewhere  (Ps. 
9:9;  46:1;  Isa.  25:4;  26:1;  Heb.  6:18).  He  is  always  near  at 
hand,  a  very  present  help;  the  way  to  this  refuge  is  clear  and  plain; 
there  is  need  to  flee  to  it  with  all  haste ;  the  sinner  must  abide  in  the 
refuge  if  he  would  be  safe.  Is  there  not  a  sweet  suggestiveness  in  the 
very  names  of  the  six  cities  which  were  appointed  for  refuge  among 
the  Hebrews?  Kadesh  means  "holiness,"  or  "the  holy  one."  Shechem 
means  "shoulder,"'  and  is  the  seat  of  man's  strength.  "The  govern- 
ment shall  be  upon  his  shoulder."  Hebron  means  "a  friend."  El- 
khulil,  the  present  Arabic  name  of  the  town,  has  the  same  meaning. 
"There  is  a  Friend  that  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother."  Bezer 
means  "precious."  "Unto  you  who  believe  he  is  precious."  Ramoth- 
gilead  means  "Heights  of  Gilead."  "Lead  me  to  the  Rock  that  is 
higher  than  I."  Golan  means  "exile."  Our  Friend  became  an  exile 
that  we  who  had  exiled  ourselves  might  be  restored  to  the  Father's 
favor  and  the  Father's  house. 


SECOND  TERM— PART  III 

FOUR   LESSONS    ON   THE   SABBATH    SCHOOL 

Lesson  X.  Its  History. 

XL  Its  Purpose,  Book,  and  Work. 

XII.  Its  Organization  and  Equipment. 

XIII.  Its  Relation  to  Church  and  Home. 


LESSON  X 

THE  SABBATH  SCHOOL:    ITS  HISTORY 

Not  only  is  the  Bible  the  only  source  of  knowledge  as  to  salva- 
tion by  Jesus  Christ,  but  it  is  also  the  original  fountain  from 
which  we  draw  our  methods  of  religious  education.  In  the  covenant 
made  with  Abraham  his  children  were  included  on  equal  terms 
with  himself,  and  he  was  solemnly  charged  with  the  duty  of 
training  them  as  children  of  Jehovah.     Gen.  17:7;  18 :  19. 

I.  In  the  Old  Testament 

(i)  Before  the  Captivity.  When  God  gave  the  moral  and  cere- 
monial law  to  Moses  for  Israel,  he  commanded  the  people  to  teach 
it  diligently  to  their  children.  The  offerings,  sacrifices,  and  feasts, 
were  to  be  explained  so  that  they  could  not  easily  be  forgotten. 
Ex.  13:8;  Deut.  6:6-9;  11:  19;  31 :  12.  It  is  probable  that  in  early 
Israel  there  was  no  institution  just  like  our  Sabbath  school.  The 
teaching  of  children  was  done  for  the  most  part  at  home  and  at  the 
great  religious  festivals.  Gradually,  however,  as  study  revealed  the 
nature  and  capacity  of  childhood,  the  people  divided  it  into  at  least 
seven  periods  or  grades,  differing  from  one  another  by  stages  of 
physical  and  mental  growth.  In  the  course  of  time  they  adapted  the 
instruction  to  the  age  and  capacity  of  the  child,  thus  laying  the 
foundation  of  a  graded  system. 

(2)  After  the  Captivity.  Soon  after  the  return  from  the  Baby- 
lonian Captivity,  we  find  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  holding  a  great  meet- 
ing of  "the  men  and  women  and  all  that  could  understand"  in  the 
streets  of  Jerusalem,  before  the  Water  Gate,  for  teaching  them  the 
law.  The  eighth  chapter  of  Nehemiah  gives  the  details  of  this 
remarkable  gathering.  After  this  time  the  Hebrews,  while  still  re- 
garding Jerusalem  as  their  religious  capital  and  the  temple  as  their 
chief  place  of  worship,  built  synagogues  in  all  their  larger  towns. 
These  buildings  were  designed  for  scriptural  instruction  and  prayer, 
not  for  sacrifices.  Those  who  worshiped  in  them  were  governed 
by  elders,  and  services  were  held  every  Sabbath.  Instruction  was 
given  in  reading,  writing,  the  Hebrew  language,  and  the  Scrip- 
tures. For  the  Hebrews  who  were  scattered  abroad  the  synagogue 
became  the  most  powerful  aid  to  education. 

83 


84  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

II.  In  the  New  Testament 

(i)  When  Christ  began  his  ministry  he  found  Hebrew  society  or- 
ganized. Their  reHgious  and  civil  customs  and  laws  were  definitely 
fixed.  He  did  not  establish  new  places  of  worship,  nor  did  he  open 
new  schools.  No  doubt  when  a  boy  he  went  to  the  synagogue 
school,  and  when  a  man  he  worshiped  with  the  people  in  their 
accustomed  places,  and  there  taught  them.  He  used  childhood 
freely  to  aid  in  the  working  of  his  wonderful  signs,  or  to  serve  as  an 
illustration  of  the  regenerated  life.  As  a  direct  result  of  his  teaching 
and  example,  childhood  came  to  a  new  dignity  and  importance. 

(2)  His  apostles  followed  his  example  and  worked  with  the  in- 
stitutions that  existed  around  them.  They  have  given  us  most 
valuable  instruction  on  the  nurture  of  children,  and  have  settled  the 
theology  concerning  them. 

III.  Since  the  Apostolic  Days 

(i)  Down  to  Luther's  Catechism,  1329.  After  apostolic  times  the 
Christian  Church  spread  very  rapidly  for  some  five  hundred  years. 
Many  of  the  first  Christians  had  been  members  of  the  Hebrew 
synagogues.  The  members  of  the  early  churches  imitated  the  schools 
which  they  had  seen,  and  in  many  cases  no  doubt  they  had  attended 
the  synagogue.  Says  Dr.  S.  B.  Haslett :  "They  were  graded  ac- 
cording to  proficiency,  some  having  as  many  as  four  grades.  The 
courses  of  study  varied.  Many  of  the  best  schools  had  sacred 
biography,  sacred  history,  Jewish  customs,  memorizing  of  Scripture 
passages,  and  the  biblical  doctrines, — God,  sin,  grace,  prayer,  re- 
generation, resurrection,  and  the  like.  The  chief  text-books  were  the 
Bible,  dialogues,  Jewish  history,  and  religious  poetry." 

As  time  went  by  the  church  nearly  lost  sight  of  the  religious 
training  of  its  children  through  absorption  in  lust  of  power  and 
worldly  conquest.  Here  and  there  small  sects  remembered  their 
duty,  and  did  valiant  work  for  their  youth. 

(2)  Down  to  Robert  Raikes,  1780.  Luther  wisely  wrote  cate- 
chisms for  adults  and  for  children,  and  through  their  use  made  an 
indelible  impression  on  all  Germany.  After  him  Calvin's  catechism 
appeared  in  1536,  and  many  others  soon  followed.  For  more  than 
two  hundred  years  the  instruction  of  children  was  mainly  doctrinal. 
Protestants  gave  no  little  attention  to  the  teaching  of  their  chil- 
dren., but  it  was  almost  entirely  theological.     A  good  example  may 


FOUR   LESSONS   ON   THE    SABBATH    SCHOOL  8$ 


be    seen    in    the    catechizing    of    Christiana's    children    in    Bunyan's 
Pilgrim's  Progress. 

During  all  these  ages  of  darkness  and  strife,  God  was  gradually 
leading  his  church  to  see  the  real  condition  and  need  of  the  children 
in  the  church  and  out  of  it,  and  to  devise  means  for  their  instruction 
and  salvation.  It  is  generally  believed  that  God  led  Robert  Raikes, 
of  Gloucester,  England,  to  establish  the  first  modern  Sabbath  school 
in  1780  or  1781.  On  the  continent  of  Europe,  in  England,  and  in 
America,  many  years  before,  pastors  and  others  had  gathered  the 
children  into  classes  in  private  houses  and  in  the  churches  for  re- 
ligious instruction.  The  Rev.  Thomas  Stock  shares  with  Robert 
Raikes  the  honor  of  establishing  this  work  upon  a  solid  basis  of 
organization,  instruction,  and  discipline. 

(3)  Down  to  May  25,  1824.  In  America,  during  the  last  ten  years 
of  the  eighteenth  century  and  the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth, 
there  were  conventions  of  local  character  held  in  several  cities. 
Finally,  the  workers  in  different  localities  concluded  that  great  good 
would  come  to  the  cause  if  they  could  form  one  association.  At 
the  convention  held  in  Philadelphia,  which  "was  largely  attended 
by  prominent  ministers  and  laymen  of  several  different  denomina- 
tions, and  from  fifteen  to  twenty  states  (there  were  only  twenty- 
four  states  then)  and,  after  able  addresses  by  several  representatives, 
the  name  and  constitution  of  the  'American  Sunday  School  Union' 
were  unanimously  approved,  May  24,  1824."  This  Union  has  been 
greatly  blessed  of  God  in  planting  thousands  of  schools  over  the 
whole  country,  and  in  carrying  the  gospel  to  multitudes  of  the 
spiritually  destitute.  It  furnished  books  for  libraries,  and  provided 
text-books  for  Bible  study,  before  the  denominational  publishing 
houses  were  formed. 

(4)  Down  to  1872.  One  of  the  most  helpful  results  of  the  organi- 
zation and  work  of  the  American  Sunday  School  Union  has  been  the 
wonderful  stimulus  which  it  has  given  to  denominational  Sabbath- 
school  work.  After  the  Civil  War  this  work  of  organizing  new 
schools  and  of  improving  the  old  ones  in  quality  of  instruction,  in 
equipment,  and  in  methods  of  work,  progressed  very  rapidly  through- 
out the  country.  Great  conventions  were  held  in  different  sections 
of  the  land,  attended  by  hundreds  of  delegates  representing  all  the 
evangelical  churches.  The  largest  and  most  varied  experience  was 
brought  to  the  service  of  all  the  schools.  In  1872,  at  Indianapolis, 
Indiana,    the    International    Sunday-School    Convention    adopted   a 


86  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

uniform  system  of  lessons.  This  International  Convention  has  been 
through  its  Executive  Committee,  a  most  powerful  agency  for  good 
in  advocating  effective  organization,  in  commending  the  best 
methods  of  instruction  and  discipline,  and  in  raising  the  Sabbath- 
school  cause  to  a  high  place  in  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  church. 
Catching  inspiration  from  the  great  Convention,  all  the  larger,  and 
many  of  the  smaller,  denominations  have  organized  Sabbath-school 
departments,  which  with  great  vigor  have  organized  and  equipped 
schools,  planted  libraries,  established  great  publishing  houses,  and 
provided  a  varied  and  useful  literature  for  explaining  and  teaching 
the  uniform  lessons.  The  modern  Sabbath  school  is  now  recognized 
as  one  of  the  most  powerful  agencies  in  the  church  for  bringing 
people  to  Christ  and  building  them  up  in  him. 

LESSON  XI 

THE  SABBATH  SCHOOL:    ITS  PURPOSE,  BOOK,   AND 

WORK 

I.  Its  Supreme  Purpose 

(i)  The  supreme  purpose  of  every  Sabbath  school  should  be  the 
salvation  of  every  pupil.  Bible  knowledge,  however  good  and  useful 
in  itself,  is  not  the  chief  object  in  view.  It  is  only  a  means  to  be  used 
in  leading  the  pupils  to  a  personal  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  Nothing 
must  be  allowed  to  divert  attention  from  this  aim.  Intellectual  at- 
tainments and  growth  flow  naturally  and  largely  from  Sabbath- 
school  teaching,  but  they  must  be  made  secondary. 

(2)  While  we  must  insist  upon  this  as  our  chief  aim,  we  must  also 
strenuously  insist  that  the  Sabbath  school  must  be  made  as  good  a 
school  as  possible.  The  Spirit  of  God  can  use  a  poor  school  in  his 
gracious  work,  but  common  sense  and  experience  combine  to  cause 
us  to  believe  that  he  will  make  a  more  powerful  use  of  a  good  one. 

II.  Its  One  Book. 

The  Sabbath  school  has  either  directly  or  indirectly  to  do  with 
but  one  book,  the  Holy  Bible.  Its  words  must  be  stored  up  in  the 
memories  of  children  that  they  may  be  a  source  of  light  and  strength 
through  maturity,  and  a  solace  in  old  age. 

(i)  Its  history  should  be  learned  continuously  from  beginning  to 
end. 


FOUR   LESSONS    ON    THE    SABBATH    SCHOOL  87 


(2)  Its  doctrines  must  be  appropriated  in  order  that  the  life  may 
be  right. 

(3)  Its  geography  requires  attention  in  order  to  its  clear  under- 
standing. 

(4)  Its  literature  is  the  most  varied  in  form  and  sublime  in 
thought  in  all  the  world,  and  claims  our  study. 

(5)  But  it  is  chiefly  as  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  only 
Saviour  and  Lord  that  we  must  teach  it  patiently,  wisely,  and 
prayerfully  to  our  pupils. 

III.  Its  Work 

(i)  Ingathering.  With  this  purpose  in  view  and  this  book  in 
hand,  the  Sabbath-school  worker  goes  forth  to  gather  in  the  people 
from  every  direction  and  in  every  condition  of  life,  of  every  age  and 
race.  The  work  of  ingathering  should  be  done  systematically  and 
constantly  in  order  that  none  may  be  overlooked.  The  pastor  in 
teaching  God's  flock,  the  superintendent,  officers,  and  teachers,  in 
their  regular  daily  intercourse,  as  well  as  by  special  effort,  should 
look  for  new  pupils.  A  holy  purpose  to  enlarge  the  school  should 
animate  every  pupil,  old  and  young.  Special  efforts  to  bring  in  new 
pupils  should  be  a  part  of  the  regular  work  of  every  school,  such 
as  a  careful  house-to-house  canvass  of  the  vicinity. 

(2)  Bringing  to  Christ.  From  the  time  a  pupil  enters  a  Sabbath 
school  until  he  leaves  it,  he  should  be  kept  face  to  face  with  Jesus. 
In  the  prayers  and  songs  and  teaching,  Christ  should  be  constantly 
held  up  in  his  beauty  and  power.  When  he  is  thus  faithfully  held 
before  the  scholars  he  will  draw  them  to  him. 

(a)  Here  the  wise  and  faithful  pastor  will  work  eagerly,  gently 
leading  the  young  life  into  captivity  to  Jesus. 

(b)  The  superintendent  by  tact  and  watchfulness  may  seize  upon 
many  an  opportunity  to  speak  for  the  Master. 

(c)  The  teacher  has  an  unsurpassed  opportunity  to  press  home 
the  claims  of  our  Lord  in  class  and  in  private  interview. 

(d)  Special  effort  under  wise  leadership,  without  undue  excite- 
ment, is  to  be  commended,  such  as  Decision  Day,  or  Communion 
season.  For  such  especial  effort  careful  and  prayerful  preparation 
should  always  be  made,  and  under  the  direction  of  the  pastor  or 
church  officers.  We  have  abundant  encouragement  to  undertake 
this  work.  It  has  been  established  beyond  a  doubt  that  it  pleases  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  convert  more  people  at  the  age  of  about  fifteen  years 


TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


than  at  any  other  age.     Jesus  himself  made  the  way  very  open  for 
eager  mothers  to  bring  their  little  ones  to  him. 

(3)  Building  up  in  Christ.  A  newly  converted  soul  is,  indeed, 
a  babe  in  Christ,  and  has  immediate  need  for  nurture.  It  is  evident 
that  the  Sabbath  school  has  here  a  most  important  part  of  its  work. 

(a)  Each  pupil  must  first  of  all  be  carefully  taught  the  Bible, 
since  accurate  knowledge  thereof  is  the  foundation  for  all  Christian 
living.  The  International  Lessons  give  us  the  portions  of  Scripture 
to  be  used.  They  are  being  more  and  more  adapted  to  the  age  and 
capacity  of  our  pupils. 

(b)  Besides  these  lessons  it  is  important  that  there  should  be 
graded  supplemental  lessons,  which  shall  provide  for  general  Bible 
study  and  for  the  study  of  denominational  doctrine  and  history, 
Here  is  a  golden  opportunity  to  train  the  young  to  right  views 
and  practices  as  to  worship. 

(c)  The  pupils'  prayer-life  needs  the  most  sympathetic  and  wise 
training,  so  that  daily  prayer  may  become  a  fixed  habit  in  every  life. 

(d)  Here  is  an  excellent  opportunity  to  train  young  Christians 
in  systematic,  universal,  proportionate,  and  cheerful  giving. 

(e)  In  a  great  many  cases  the  Sabbath  school  is  the  only  place 
where  children  can  learn  to  sing  the  songs  of  Zion,  and  here  the 
great  hymns  should  be  memorized  and  sung. 

(f)  Here  different  forms  of  Christian  zvork  may  be  commended 
and  begun. 

(g)  Particularly  do  missions  need  to  be  held  up  in  every  possible 
way  as  worthy  of  large  gifts  and  demanding  the  lives  of  the  faithful 
soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ. 

(h)  The  watchful  teacher  has  here  innumerable  opportunities  to 
strengthen  the  tempted  in  the  hour  of  trial. 


LESSON  XII 

THE  SABBATH  SCHOOL:    ITS  ORGANIZATION  AND 
EQUIPMENT 

Wherever  there  is  life  there  is  some  form  of  organization  in  which 
it  resides  and  through  which  it  does  its  work.  If  the  Sabbath  school 
is  a  living  thing,  it  must  have  organization ;  it  cannot  live  without  it. 
After  many  years  of  work,  all  Sabbath-school  workers  have  come 
to  agree  upon  the  main  features  of  organization. 


FOUR   LESSONS    ON    THE    SABBATH    SCHOOL  89 

I.  Oflacers.  Great  care  should  be  taken  in  the  choice  of  the 
officers  of  the  Sabbath  school.  Before  Jesus  said  to  Peter,  "Feed 
my  lambs,"  he  pressed  the  question,  ''Lovest  thou  me?"  The  love 
of  Christ  in  the  heart  is  essential  in  those  who  are  to  care  for  the 
children. 

(i)  There  should  be  a  superintendent,  (a)  He  should  be  a  man 
who  knows  the  Bible,  loves  children,  possesses  executive  ability  and 
tact,  i*nd,  above  all,  who  walks  daily  with  Jesus. 

(b)  His  office  requires  him  to  open  the  sessions  of  the  school ; 
maintain  order  during  the  session ;  conduct  the  closing  exercises ; 
provide  for  teacher-training;  suggest  methods  of  grading;  visit  the 
homes  of  the  pupils ;  devise  plans  for  enlargement ;  promote 
scripture  giving;  use  especial  effort  to  bring  all  the  children  to 
Christ  for  salvation. 

(c)  He  should  seek  in  all  possible  ways  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  most  approved  methods  of  organization  and  work. 

(2)  There  should  also  be  an  assistant  superintendent,  whose 
character  and  fitting  should  be  much  the  same  as  the  superin- 
tendent's, in  whose  absence  he  should  act.  To  him  may  be  given 
some  special  work,  such  as  the  promotion  of  regular  attendance  and 
home  study  of  the  lessons. 

(3)  Every  school  needs  an  intelligent  and  interested  secretary. 
To  him  belongs  the  duty  of  keeping  a  neat  and  accurate  record  of 
attendance  on  part  of  the  officers,  teachers,  and  pupils;  of  making 
the  weekly  report  at  the  close  of  each  session  of  the  school,  and 
the  annual  report  for  the  Session  of  the  church;  of  ordering,  receiv- 
ing, and  distributing,  lesson  and  other  papers  taken  by  the  school. 

(4)  The  treasurer  should  keep  a  careful  record  of  the  time  and 
purpose  of  every  collection ;  give  due  notice  to  the  school  concerning 
each;  take  up  the  offerings  of  the  school  weekly;  keep  a  careful 
record  of  receipts  and  payments ;  make  written  reports  when  asked 
by  the  superintendent ;  be  diligent  in  promoting  universal,  systematic, 
and  proportionate  giving. 

(5)  The  librarian  should  order  all  books  selected  by  the  library 
committee;  properly  label  them;  protect  them  from  injury;  keep  a 
careful  record  of  the  persons  who  take  them  out ;  and  should  be 
familiar  enough  with  the  library  to  give  guidance  to  those  who  may 
seek  certain  kinds  of  books. 

(6)  The  leader  of  the  music,  whether  the  organist  or  some  one 
especially  selected  for  the  purpose,  should  provide  suitable  music 


go  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


for  the  whole  school,  with  a  view  to  intelligent,  reverent,  general, 
and  joyful  praise. 

II.  Departments.  In  every  well-organized  school  to-day  the 
pupils  are  carefully  classified  according  to  age,  capacity,  and  ad- 
vancement in  learning.  In  the  larger  city  schools  there  are  at  least 
six  departments.  In  the  smaller  schools  these  departments  may  be 
called  classes. 

(i)  First  comes  the  Primary  Department,  embracing  children 
under  nine  years  of  age.  This  department  is  now  divided  into  three 
subdepartments. 

(a)  First  we  have  the  Cradle  Roll,  for  children  up  to  three  years 
old. 

(b)  Then  we  have  the  Beginners,  between  three  and  six. 

(c)  Finally  comes  the  General  Primary  Class  up  to  nine  years. 

(2)  Next  to  the  Primary  is  the  Junior  Department  for  children 
between  nine  and  twelve  years. 

(3)  Then  we  have  the  Intermediate  Department  for  pupils 
between  twelve  and  fifteen  years. 

(4)  All  above  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  are  to  be  classified  in  the 
Senior  Department. 

(5)  For  providing  the  school  with  trained  teachers,  we  have  the 
Teacher-training  Department,  with  a  special  course  of  study. 

(6)  In  every  congregation  there  are  persons  who  cannot  come 
to  the  school  because  of  sickness,  infirmity  of  age,  or  necessary 
work,  and  others  who  do  not  attend  the  sessions.  To  reach  all 
these  there  is  the  Home  Department. 

(7)  To-day  many  anxious  workers  are  asking  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Missionary  Department  for  bringing  the  schools  into 
active  interest  in  the  great  cause  of  missions  at  home  and  abroad. 

In  the  best  schools  each  of  the  first  four  departments  has  its  own 
course  of  lessons  providing  for  memory  work,  Bible  history,  doctrine, 
geography,  and  literature,  in  addition  to  the  regular  International 
Lesson  for  each  Sabbath.  These  lessons  are  called  supplementary, 
and  should  be  carefully  graded. 

Promotion  from  one  department  (or  class,  or  grade)  to  another 
should  be  made  only  after  the  pupil  has  stood  a  satisfactory  test  on 
the  work  of  the  lower  class  (or  grade,  or  department). 

III.  Equipment.  An  adequate  equipment  is  necessary  to  the  best 
work  of  the  school. 


FOUR   LESSONS    ON    THE    SABBATH    SCHOOL 


91 


(i)  Wherever  it  is  possible  each  class  should  have  its  ozun  room. 
It  is  especially  desirable  to  have  a  separate  room  for  the  Primary 
Department,  and  when  a  room  cannot  be  had  a  space  should  be 
curtained  or  screened  so  that  the  little  ones  may  be  private. 

(2)  Comfortable  seats  should  be  provided,  especially  for  the  Pri- 
mary pupils. 

(3)  Every  school  should  have  a  good  blackboard,  and  if  there 
are  separate  rooms,  every  room  should  have  one. 

(4)  Ready-made  or  spe- 
cially prepared  charts  may 
be  used  to  profit. 

(5)  An  abundant  supply 
of  good  maps  is  of  great  im- 
portance. 

(6)  There  should  be 
enough  hymn  books  to  en- 
able every  one  to  sing. 

(7)  A  suitable  place  and 
shelves  should  be  provided 
for  the  library, which  should 
be  catalogued. 

(8)  There  should  be  a 
full  supply  of  children's 
and  young  people's  papers 
for  home  and  Sabbath  read- 
ing and  the  denominational 
lesson  helps  of  every  kind 
are  a  necessity  to  the  high- 
est usefulness  of  the  school. 

(9)  Special  effort  should  be  made  to  have  each  pupil  bring  a  Bid/e 
to  school  and  use  it  during  class. 

(10)  The  secretary's  book  and  the  treasurer's  book  should  be  of 
the  best  and  most  useful  form. 

(11)  Attractive  offering  baskets  should  be  used. 

(12)  It  will  be  of  the  greatest  aid  to  any  school  to  have  a  carefully 
selected  teacher's  reference  library,  containing  a  Bible  dictionary, 
commentaries,  books  on  child-study,  and  on  teaching  and  methods  of 
work. 


92  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


LESSON  xm 

THE  SABBATH  SCHOOL:    ITS  RELATION  TO  CHURCH 
AND  HOME 

I.  Its  Relation  to  Church, 

(i)  To  be  faithfully  cared  for.  To  teach  its  children  and  youth 
is  necessary  to  the  life  and  growth  of  any  church.  Jesus  tells  us 
that  the  children's  angels  always  behold  the  face  of  the  Father, 
always  have  access  to  him.  The  church  should  care  most  sacredly 
for  those  who  are  so  dear  to  God.     . 

(a)  The  greatest  care  should  be  taken  in  choosing  those  who  shall 
teach  the  children. 

(b)  There  should  be  an  intelligent,  and  conscientious  oversight 
of  the  literature  used  in  the  school. 

(c)  So  great  and  far-reaching  is  this  work  that  every  pastor  should 
endeavor  to  attend  every  session  of  the  school,  that  he  may  be  in 
touch  with  the  workers  and  with  the  youth.  When  possible  he 
should  take  an  active  part  in  the  school  work.  Undoubtedly  it  is 
the  duty  of  every  ruling  elder  to  attend  the  school  and  be  closely 
identified  with  it. 

(2)  Financial  Support.  A  careful  estimate  of  the  necessary  ex- 
penses of  the  school  should  be  made  before  the  beginning  of  each 
church  year.  This  sum  should  be  included  in  the  church's  budget 
for  the  next  year,  and  should  be  provided  by  the  church,  thus 
allowing  the  school  to  cultivate  the  benevolence  of  the  pupils  by 
giving  to  objects  other  than  its  own  support. 

(3)  Church  Attendance.  The  school  may  be  made  a  powerful 
agency  for  increasing  attendance  upon  the  public  worship  of  the 
church  by  frequently  giving  sympathetic  and  attractive  invitations 
to  it,  and  by  earnest  and  faithful  instruction  concerning  it  in  the 
class. 

(4)  Faithful  Instruction.  Every  school  owes  the  church  of  which 
it  is  a  vital  part,  faithful,  efficient,  and  sound  instruction.  Its  teach- 
ing should  be  a  powerful  supplement  to  the  pulpit  utterances  of  the 
pastor.  Ignorance  and  inefficiency  should  not  be  given  a  place  for 
any  length  of  time.  Here  should  be  provided  a  symmetrical  and 
thorough  system  of  religious  training  in  order  that  the  life  of  the 
church  may  be  enriched. 


FOUR  LESSONS   ON   THE   SABBATH   SCHOOL  93 


II.  Its  Relation  to  the  Home 

(i)  What  the  School  Ozves  the  Home.  Few  things  can  be  more 
disastrous  to  genuine  religion  than  for  parents  to  transfer  their 
responsibility  for  the  training  of  their  children  to  any  individual  or 
institution.  The  Sabbath  school  is  not  intended  to  take  the  place 
of  parents,  but  is  designed  to  supplement  their  teaching.  There  are 
thousands  of  children  who  would  grow  up  in  ignorance  of  God  and 
salvation  if  they  depended  entirely  upon  their  indifferent  parents. 
To  such  children  the  Sabbath  school  is  an  opportunity  of  supreme 
value.     To  all  the  homes  connected  with  it  the  school  owes : 

(a)  The  most  perfect  organization  attainable. 

(b)  The  completest  equipment. 

(c)  The  most  thorough  instruction. 

(d)  The  most  effective  discipline. 

(e)  The  most  practical  and  progressive  methods  of  work,  and  the 
most  diligent  efforts  to  bring  all  the  pupils  to  Christ  for  salvation. 

(2)  What  the  Home  Ozves  the  School.  On  the  other  hand  the 
home  is  under  a  heavy  debt  to  the  school. 

(a)  Parents  should,  as  far  as  possible,  attend  its  sessions,  bringing 
their  children  with  them. 

(b)  They  are  responsible  in  a  very  real  way  for  the  regularity  and 
punctuality  of  their  children's  attendance. 

(c)  They  can  greatly  promote  their  children's  progress  in  Bible 
knowledge  by  faithfully  teaching  the  lesson  at  home. 

(d)  Their  children  would  be  greatly  encouraged  if  they  knew  that 
their  parents  were  regular  and  diligent  students  of  the  word.  Ex- 
ample in  this  particular  is  of  the  very  highest  importance.  If  parents 
would  use  at  family  zvorship  the  Daily  Readings  connected  with  each 
lesson,  the  whole  family  would  be  kept  daily  in  touch  with  the 
school. 

(e)  Fathers  and  mothers  can  aid  the  school  by  speaking  kindly 
and  respectfully  of  the  superintendent  and  teachers,  thus  putting 
honor  on  the  work,  and  so  leading  their  children  to  value  it  at  all 
times. 


THIRD  TERM— PART  I 

SEVEN    LESSONS    ON    THE    TEACHER 

Lesson    I.  The  Teacher's  Life    and  Influence. 

II.  The  Teacher  Preparing  the  Lesson. 

III.  The  Teacher  at  Work. 

IV.  The  Teacher  Questioning. 

V.  The  Teacher's  Illustrations. 

VI.  The  Teacher  and  His  Pupils. 

VII.  The  Teacher's  Model. 


LESSON  I 
THE  TEACHER'S  LIFE  AND  INFLUENCE 

"None  of  us  liveth  to  himself." 

Note. — There  is  no  question  that  the  Sabbath-school  teacher  may 
exert  very  great  influence  over  his  pupils.  In  many  cases  this  in- 
fluence is  greater  than  that  exerted  by  the  parents  or  even  by  the 
pastor.  The  consecrated  teacher,  longing  for  the  spiritual  develop- 
ment of  those  put  under  his  care,  seeks  out  and  employs  every  means 
for  increasing  that  influence. 

THE  TEACHER'S  INFLUENCE  IS  CONDITIONED  BY: 

I.  His  Personality.  All  thoughtful  Christians  recognize  the 
truth  of  the  axiom :  To  be  is  better  than  to  do.  From  one  end  of 
the  land  to  the  other  have  been  rung  the  changes  on  the  declaration 
of  Emerson :  "What  you  are  speaks  so  loud  that  I  cannot  hear  what 
you  say."  Character  rather  than  reputation  is  to  be  striven  for. 
Truth  incarnated  is  the  only  kind  of  truth  that  makes  an  eflfective 
appeal  in  these  days  of  intellectual  independence,  scientific  research, 
and  material  advancement.  The  teacher  who  would  make  a  strong 
and  permanent  impression  must  be : 

(i)    IV hat  God  zvants  him  to  be. 

(2)  What  he  wishes  others  to  think  he  is. 

(3)  What  he  asks  his  pupils  to  be. 

(See  Jesus'  Personality  in  Lesson  VII.) 

II.  His  Private  Life.  The  man  who  had  his  cellar  stocked  with 
choice  wines  was  a  fool  to  attempt  to  teach  the  temperance  lesson. 
The  man  who  deliberately  and  frequently  cheated  the  car  company 
out  of  a  nickel  had  only  himself  to  blame  when  he  lost  his  influ- 
ence in  the  Sabbath  school  of  which  he  was  the  superintendent.  Al- 
though the  teacher's  private  life  is  continuous,  and  the  incidents 
connected  therewith  are  multitudinous,  the  elements  thereof  may 
be  summed  up  for  convenience  of  study  under  three  headings : 

(i)  Fellowship  with  God. 

(2)  Integrity  in  all  the  relations  of  life. 

(3)  Fidelity  in  the  performance  of  all  duties  both  great  and  small. 

97 


98  TEACHER-TRAINING  COURSE 


III.  His  Public  Life.  From  the^  standpoint  of  the  influence 
that  he  is  exerting  on  the  class,  the  Sabbath-school  teacher  must  be: 

(i)  A  church  member. 
{2)  A  church  attendant. 

(3)  A  worker  for  the  advancement  of  the  kingdom. 

(4)  Interested  in  those  things  which  are  for  the  uplifting  of 
humanity. 

(5)  Fair  and  square  in  his  dealings  ivith  all. 

IV.  His  Professional  Life.  Here  the  term  professional  is  used 
in  relation  to  the  individual's  work  as  a  teacher  in  the  Bible  school. 
Such  work  is  a  profession  that  should  be  recognized,  appreciated, 
and  magnified.  In  the  ratio  that  this  is  done  may  we  expect  solid, 
influential  work  performed.  In  this  profession  the  things  most  to 
be  guarded  against  are  narrowness  and  selfishness.  The  teacher 
should  be  big  in  more  senses  than  one,  big  in  purpose,  big  in  out- 
look, big  in  the  willingness  to  cooperate.  His  sympathy,  thought, 
and  prayers,  should  go  out  for : 

(i)   The  kingdom  as  a  whole. 

(2)  Sabbath-school  work  as  a  whole. 

(3)  The  organized  Sabbath-school  work  of  his  state,  county,  and 
town. 

(4)  His  school  as  a  tvhole. 

(5)  His  fellow-workers. 

(6)  The  members  of  his  class. 

(7)  Outsiders  whom  he  may  iniluence. 

V.  His  Preparation.  Pupils  in  the  Sabbath  school  cannot  be  ex- 
pected to  study  if  their  teachers  neglect  to  make  proper  preparation. 
The  teacher  cannot  expect  to  influence  the  pupils  by  pursuing  slip- 
shod methods  in  preparation.  The  kinds  necessary  and  the  methods 
of  preparation  are  given  in  Lesson  II. 

VI.  His  Power.  The  Sabbath-school  teacher,  because  he  is  deal- 
ing with  spiritual  realities,  needs  most  of  all  spiritual  power.  The 
greater  his  physical  power  and  his  intellectual  power  the  greater  will 
be  his  influence,  provided  that  he  has  that  sine  qua  non  for  effective 
service,  spiritual  power.  No  formula  can  be  prepared  nor  rules 
laid  down  in  reference  to  the  ways  of  obtaining  this  power.  Every 
individual  must  find  and  follow  the  way  for  himself.     To  advocate  a 


SEVEN    LESSONS    ON    THE   TEACHER  QQ 


cut-and-dried   method   is   to   limit    God's    Spirit.     The    following   is 
given  as  merely  suggestive.     Spiritual  power  depends  on : 

(i)   Union  with  God  through  Christ.     (See  John   15:5;    Philip- 
pians  4:  13.) 

(2)  The  motive  that  actuates  one  in  serving.     (See  Lesson  III.) 

(3)  Preparation.     (As  suggested  in  Lesson  IL) 


LESSON  II 
THE  TEACHER  PREPARING  THE  LESSON 

"A  workman  that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed." 

When  a  young  teacher  in  the  Sabbath  school,  the  writer  was 
quently  almost  discouraged  by  what  he  heard  from  platform  orators 
concerning  the  necessity  for  spending  much  time  on  the  preparation 
of  the  lesson.  According  to  them  it  would  take  almost  the  entire 
week  to  get  ready  to  teach  on  the  next  Lord's  Day.  Such  harangues 
as  he  listened  to  were  worse  than  useless. 

The  purpose  of  the  following  suggestions  is  to  make  the  teacher's 
preparation  easy  by  making  it  systematic  and  scientific. 

There  are  three  elements  in  the  Teachers'  Preparation:  The 
physical,  the  intellectual,  and  the  spiritual. 

A.  PhysicaL  Many  teachers,  impressed  with  the  importance  of 
the  spiritual  side  of  their  work  neglect  physical  preparation  therefor 
and  are  handicapped  by  this  neglect.  The  physical  preparation 
should  be  along  the  lines  of : 

I.  General  Health.  Anything  that  the  teacher  can  do  in  order 
to  get  and  to  keep  a  high  physical  tone  will  help  him  to  be  a  better 
teacher. 

II.  Clearness  of  Mind.  The  effect  of  a  disordered  stomach  or  of 
a  sluggish  liver  is  well  known,  but  frequently  but  little  considered  in 
preparing  for  lesson-teaching.  Very  heavy  midday  meals  just  before 
going  to  teach  in  an  afternoon  Sabbath  school  has  been  the  cause  of 
countless  defeats. 

III.  Self-Mastery.  A  good  night's  sleep  will  frequently  do  more 
to  quiet  the  teacher  and  to  prepare  him  for  his  work  than  can  any- 
thing else  that  may  be  suggested.     To  learn  to  rest  religiously  so 


100  TEACHER-TRAINING    COURSE 

as  to  be  prepared  to  render  more  efficient  service  is  a  high  art  and 
one  that  must  be  practiced  by  many. 

B.  Intellectual.  Intellectual  preparation  may  be  grouped  for 
convenience  under  four  headings: 

I.  Study.     Two  questions  suggest  themselves: 

(i)  What  should  the  teacher  study F  In  a  general  way  the  answer 
is,  Everything  that  the  teacher  studies  may  be  helpful  in  his  work 
of  teaching.     But  specifically  he  should  study: 

(a)  His  Bible  generally. 

(b)  The  Lesson  for  the  day  particularly. 

(c)  His  pupils. 

(d)  Himself. 

(e)  Methods  of  teaching.     (See  Lesson  VII.) 

(2)  Where  should  the  teacher  study?  Here  again  the  answer  may 
be  general.  He  can  study  everywhere.  But  in  particular  he  should 
study : 

(a)  At  home. 

(b)  At  the  teachers'  meeting,  where  he  can  get  the  help  that 
comes  from  contact  with  others  engaged  in  the  same  work,  and 
where  he  can  contribute  his  portion  to  the  general  knowledge  and 
experience  of  the  teaching  force  of  the  school. 

(c)  Here  and  there.  Odd  moments  on  the  street  cars  and  in 
other  places  may  be  utilized  for  the  study  of  the  lesson. 

II.  Conversation.  The  farmer,  the  housekeeper,  the  dress- 
maker, the  salesman,  the  professional  man  and  woman,  all  increase 
their  stock  of  knowledge  concerning,  and  their  skill  in,  their  various 
vocations  by  conversing  with  those  engaged  in  like  pursuits.  Why 
should  not  the  Sabbath-school  teacher  do  the  same? 

III.  Outlining.  Nothing  will  help  the  Bible  teacher  more  than 
the  formation  of  the  habit  of  outlining  as  early  in  the  week  as  pos- 
sible the  lesson  for  the  coming  Lord's  Day.  Nothing  is  more  diffi- 
cult to  begin,  nothing  is  more  easily  learned  if  persisted  in,  than 
this  art  of  outlining. 

IV.  Thought.  With  his  outline  in  mind,  the  teacher  may  think 
of  it  as  occasion  offers  from  time  to  time.  As  he  thinks,  the  lesson 
will  crystallize,  and  he  will  get  hold  of  it,  or  rather  it  will  get  hold 
of  him,  so  that  when  the  Sabbath  comes  it  will  not  be  a  task  but  a 
delight  to  teach. 


SEVEN   LESSONS   ON    THE  TEACHER  lOI 

C.  Spiritual.  The  teacher  who  has  power  in  imparting  spiritual 
truths  is  the  one  who  is  able  to  say  in  reference  to  them,  /  know. 
The  knowledge  need  not  be  very  large,  but  it  should  be  positive  as 
far  as  it  goes.  Spiritual  preparation  may  be  carried  on  along 
three 'lines : 

I.  Prayer.  When  Jesus  had  some  important  truth  to  teach 
or  some  far-reaching  labor  to  perform,  he  prepared  for  it  by  prayer. 
Shall  the  disciple  not  imitate  the  Master?  As  to  the  time,  place, 
and  manner  of  prayer  each  one  must  decide  for  himself,  but  as  to 
the  fact  of  praying  there  can  be  no  dispute.  Real,  spiritual  work 
must  be  preceded  and  carried  on  in  the  spirit  of  prayer. 

II.  Fellowship  with  Christ.  Fellowship  has  been  defined  as 
"community  of  interest  and  feeling."  To  have  real  fellowship  with 
Christ  we  must  have  a  knowledge  of,  and  a  sympathy  with,  his 
purpose  for  mankind.  What  was  that  purpose?  "To  seek  and  to 
save,"  says  one.  "To  develop  character,"  says  another.  Combine 
these  two  answers  and  we  have  a  fairly  good  statement  of  the  pur- 
pose of  Christ.  A  large  part  of  the  teacher's  spiritual  preparation 
should  consist  in  communion  with  Christ,  so  as  really  to  understand 
his  purpose  and  to  receive  the  inspiration  and  strength  to  do  his 
part  in  the  carrying  out  of  that  purpose. 

III.  Practice  of  Righteousness.  If  the  teacher  is  to  strive  to 
get  the  pupils  to  be  right  and  to  do  right,  and  if  the  pupil  will 
imitate  the  teacher's  life  rather  than  obey  his  words,  surely  it  needs 
no  argument  to  prove  that  a  very  large  and  most  important  element 
in  the  teacher's  preparation  is  his  practice  of  righteousness ;  that  is 
his  putting  into  practice  in  his  own  life  what  he  teaches  his  pupils. 


LESSON  III 
THE  TEACHER  AT  WORK 

"Rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth." 

The  old  statement,  "Teaching  is  causing  another  to  know,"  does 
not  adequately  define  the  work  of  the  Sabbath-school  teacher  of 
to-day,  whose  aim  should  be  to  help  his  pupils  to  know,  to  he,  to  do. 
His  effectiveness  in  this  will  be  conditioned  chiefly  by  four  things, 


TEACHER-TRAINING    COURSE 


namely,  his   motive,   his   material,   his   method,   and  his   manner   in 
teaching. 

I.  The  Motive.  "I  teach  my  class  out  of  gratitude  to  God  for 
what  he  has  done  for  me,''  was  the  declaration  of  a  business  man 
who  gives  much  time,  thought,  and  prayer,  to  his  Bible  class  of  men. 
If  there  were  more  who  could  thus  positively  state  their  motive  in 
teaching  there  would  be  better  work  done  in  the  Sabbath  school. 
What  should  be  the  Sabbath-school  teacher's  motive?  At  least 
two-fold: 

(i)  Love  to  God.  This  love  should  lead  us  to  ask  ourselves: 
What  is  the  best  work  that  I  can  do  for  him  who  has  done  so  much 
for  me?  Surely  there  is  no  better,  no  greater  work  than  that  of 
teaching  others  about  God,  so  as  to  get  them  to  be  what  he  wants 
them  to  be  and  to  do  what  he  wants  them  to  do. 

(2)  Love  to  the  Pupils.  Love  is  unselfish.  Love  desires  the  very 
best  for  the  object  upon  which  it  is  centered.  Hence,  with  love  as 
the  motive  power,  the  teacher  will  work  for  his  pupils  in  reference 
to  their 

(a)  Conversion. 

(b)  Culture. 

(c)  Character-building. 

II.  The  MateriaL  The  material  used  by  the  teacher  in  the  class 
will  depend  very  largely  upon  his  attitude  toward  the  principles  con- 
sidered in  the  last  lesson. 

(i)   What  is  the  teacher's  material? 

(a)  It  is  generally  an  assigned  portion  of  Scripture  w'th  the 
selection  of  which  the  teacher  has  nothing  to  do. 

(b)  From  this  he  should  make  a  selection  for  teaching. 

(c)  As  a  rule,  that  selection  should  be  made  in  answer  to  the 
question  :  What  will  be  most  helpful  to  the  largest  number  in  my 
class? 

(d)  Occasionally,  the  selection  should  be  made  to  fit  the  especial 
need  of  some  member  of  the  class. 

(2)  Hoiv  should  this  material  he  used? 

(a)  But  a  little  at  a  time. 

(b)  So  that  the  various  lessons  shall  have  a  unity,  either  his- 
torically or  doctrinally. 

(c)  It  should  be  reviewed  from  time  to  time  so  that  the  facts 
and  truths  may  be  remembered. 


SEVEN    LESSONS    ON    THE   TEACHER  IO3 


(d)   It  should  be  connected  with  the  everyday  Hfe  of  the  pupils. 

III.  The  Method.  Which  is  worse,  to  have  no  method  or  always 
to  employ  exactly  the  same  method?  is  a  question  very  difficult 
to  answer.  Methods  should  not  only  differ  according  to  the  ages 
and  the  environments  of  the  pupils,  but  the  same  general  kinds  of 
methods  should  vary  from  time  to  time.  There  are  four  general 
methods : 

(i)  The  question  method.  This  is  undoubtedly  the  best  method 
in  most  classes,  but  one  that  finds  little  favor  in  many  quarters 
because  of  the  difficulties  connected  therewith. 

(2)  The  lecture  method.  There  are  some  excellent  lecturers  who 
get  good  results  by  employing  this  method,  but  a  grave  danger  to 
be  guarded  against  is  the  possibility  of  the  lecture  degenerating 
into  a  mere  talk. 

(3)  The  manual  method.  Much  is  being  said  and  written  in 
reference  to  the  manual  method,  but  comparatively  little  has  yet 
been  done  with  it.  It  is  destined,  however,  to  change  much  of  the 
work  done  in  Junior  and  Intermediate  classes.  It  is  the  method 
of  getting  the  pupils  to  use  their  hands  (manus,  hand)  as  well  as 
their  eyes  and  ears.  Bibles  are  given  to  the  pupils  to  be  actually 
handled.  Pads  and  pencils  are  provided  for  work  to  be  done  in  the 
class.  Notebooks  and  pictures  are  given  to  the  pupils  to  be  used 
at  home.  Those  who  have  the  courage  to  employ  this  method  will 
obtain  large  results. 

(4)  The  combination  method.  This  is  one  that  combines  any 
two  or  all  three  of  the  methods  named  above,  and  is  the  one  most 
employed.  For  Juniors  and  Intermediates  a  combination  of  two  and 
three  would  make  a  good  method.  For  Seniors  and  Adults  a 
combination  of  one  and  two  will  prove  effective. 

IV.  The  Manner.  No  method  will  succeed  in  the  class  if  em- 
ployed by  a  teacher  whose  manner  is  non-magnetic  or  repulsive.  A 
teacher's  manner  in  order  to  accomplish  good  results  must  be : 

(i)  Loving.  In  many  classes,  especially  those  composed  of  young 
adolescents,  any  demonstration  of  affection,  any  exhibition  of  sen- 
timentality, provokes  the  pupils,  but  young  people  soon  know  whether 
a  teacher  loves  them  or  not. 

(2)  Alert.  Inertia  is  a  good  thing,  but  not  in  a  Sabbath-school 
class.  Listlessness  in  dealing  with  divine  truths  creates  the  im- 
pression that  they  are  not  considered  to  be  of  much  value.     The 


104  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

alert,  active  teacher  will  be  listened  to  and  followed  when  the  dull, 
prosy  one  will  not  have  a  hearing. 

(3)  Tactful.  A  study  of  Jesus  as  the  model  teacher,  a  study  of 
self,  and  a  study  of  his  pupils,  will  do  much  toward  making  a  tactful 
teacher. 

(4)  Helpful.  After  all  is  said,  it  is  the  teacher  who  most  helps 
his  pupils  that  is  listened  to  and  obeyed.  Therefore,  the  teacher 
should  know  his  pupils'  needs  and  strive  to  adapt  every  lesson  to 
those  needs. 

LESSON  IV 

THE  TEACHER  QUESTIONING 

*'A  wise  question  is  the  half  of  knowledge." — Bacon. 

We  hear  and  read  very  much  in  these  days  concerning  the  Socratic 
method  of  teaching,  and  its  use  in  the  Sabbath  school  is  advocated. 
The  employment  of  this  method  would  tend  to  empty  our  schools, 
because  he  whose  name  it  bears  asked  questions  first  to  show  those 
questioned  their  ignorance,  and  then  to  get  them  into  a  condition  of 
doubt  and  perplexity  in  order  that  afterwards  they  might  receive 
instruction.  Questions  should  not  be  asked  in  the  Sabbath  school 
for  the  purpose  of  exposing  ignorance  or  of  confusing  the  learner. 
All  questions  should  be  so  formed  as  to  draw  out  what  those  who 
are  questioned  know,  and  they  should  always  be  constructive  in  their 
aim. 

FOR  PROPER  QUESTIONING  THERE  ARE  NEEDED: 

I.  Preparation.  Perhaps  no  one  element  of  successful  teaching 
presupposes  so  many  things  as  does  effective  questioning.  In  order 
to  ask  good  questions  the  teacher  must  know : 

(i)   The  Bible  as  a  zvhole. 

(2)  The  lesson  for  the  day. 

(3)  The  pupils. 

(4)  Himself. 

(5)  How  to  frame  questions. 

As  four  of  these  points  are  dealt  with  elsewhere  in  these  lessons 
they  need  but  be  recalled  here.  Our  suggestions  here  are  con- 
cerning the  methods  of  questioning. 

II.  Perspicuity.     That  is  to  say  clearness  or  transparency.     Not 


SEVEN    LESSONS    ON    THE   TEACHER  IO5 


only  should  the  teacher  understand  what  his  question  means,  but  the 
pupils  also  should  be  able  to  see  through  it.     In  order  to  secure  this 
clearness  the  teacher  must  strive  for  definiteness  of 
(i)  Knowledge. 

(2)  Thought. 

(3)  Language. 

It  is  better  to  know  some  few  things  definitely  than  to  have  hazy 
notions  concerning  many  things.  It  is  better  to  think  clearly  on  one 
truth  connected  with  a  given  portion  of  Scripture  than  to  speculate 
concerning  a  number  of  truths.  It  is  better  to  use  short,  terse  words 
understood  by  both  teacher  and  taught  than  to  use  long  ones  con- 
cerning whose  meaning  there  may  be  differences  of  opinion.  It  is 
better  to  ask  one  short,  crisp  question  that  is  understood,  than  to 
have  the  reputation  of  being  a  walking  dictionary. 

III.  Pointedness.  Every  question  should  have  a  point  which 
will  make  it  stick  just  where  it  is  aimed.  This  does  not  mean  that 
a  question  should  be  offensive  or  cutting.  A  good  exercise  for  the 
teacher  would  be  to  study  the  pointed  questions  of  Jesus.  For 
examples,  see  Mark  8 :  27,  29,  36.  and  37. 

IV.  Piquancy.  Not  the  sharpness  that  wounds,  but  the  pun- 
gency that  sparkles  and  attracts.  No  matter  how  true  to  fact  ques- 
tions may  be,  if  they  are  asked  in  a  dull,  prosy  manner,  they  will 
meet  with  but  little  response  from  anyone,  especially  from  the 
young.  Even  in  those  momentous  questions  and  directions  of  John, 
ch.  21,  where  we  have  the  record  of  Jesus  giving  Peter  his  commis- 
sion to  teach,  the  Master  plays  on  words.  This  raciness  of  speech 
was  not  unusual  with  him.  Let  our  questions  sparkle  with  life, 
freshness,  and  sanctified  wit,  and  our  pupils'  minds  will  leap  to 
receive  them. 

V.  Personality.  A  personal  question  that  would  hurt  the  feel- 
ings of  the  one  questioned  should  be  avoided  by  every  possible 
means.  On  the  other  hand,  indefinite,  vague  questions  on  subjects 
concerning  which  the  pupil  need  have  no  interest  should  not  be 
employed  except  as  foundations  upon  which  to  base  the  questions 
that  are  to  tell.  The  personality  of  the  teacher  should  be  put  into 
his  questions,  and  the  personality  of  the  pupils  with  all  that  inheres 
in  it  should  be  considered  in  framing  questioiis. 

See  for  example  Luke  13 :  2,  4  and  18. 


I06  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


VI.  Patience.  In  the  matter  of  asking  questions  we  must  not 
be  in  haste.  Questioning,  like  any  other  art,  takes  time  to  enable 
one  to  master  it. 

VII.  Perseverance.  It  is  so  much  easier  to  talk  than  to  ask 
questions  that  many  teachers  give  up  the  attempt  after  a  few  failures 
in  propounding  questions.  The  old  motto,  Perseverance  conquers 
all  things,  is  true  in  the  matter  of  asking  questions  as  in  all  other 
things.     What  the  one  who  fails  needs  is 

VIII.  Practice.     The  following  lines  of  practice  are  suggested: 
(i)  Listen  whenever  possible  to  a  master  of  the  art  of  questioning. 

(2)  Study  the  questions  in  the  lesson  book. 

(3)  Occasionally  write  out  the  questions  to  be  asked. 

(4)  Note  the  efTect  of  questions  asked  by  yourself  and  others, 

(5)  Do  not  expect  others  to  know  what  is  in  your  mind. 

(6)  Welcome  all  attempts  at  answering. 

(7)  Accept  wrong  or  imperfect  answers  and  use  them  to  lead  up 
to  correct  ones. 

(8)  Never  blame  anyone  but  yourself  for  wrong  answers  to  an 
ambiguous  question  or  to  one  that  may  be  answered  in  many  ways. 

LESSON  V 

THE  TEACHER'S  ILLUSTRATIONS 

"Without  a  parable  spake  he  not  unto  them." 
NOTES 

The  meaning  of  the  term  illustration  is  obvious,  yet  how  frequently 
it  is  forgotten  in  practice !  "To  light  up,"  "to  make  luminous,"  is  the 
purpose  of  the  illustration,  but,  alas!  it  is  not  seldom  employed  to 
hide  the  truth  under  consideration  and  to  befog  the  mind  of  the 
learner. 

The  classes  of  illustrations  are  numerous.  The  principal  ones  are 
maps,  pictures,  diagrams,  symbols,  objects,  stories,  and  parables. 
They  may  appeal  either  to  the  sight,  to  the  imagination,  to  the 
reasoning  pozccr,  or  to  the  memory. 

As  to  what  illustrations  should  be,  Groser  has  well  said:  "They 
should  be  somewhat  short  in  all  cases,  but  more  so  in  elder  class 
teaching  than  in  the  instruction  of  juniors;  they  should  be  simple, 


SEVEN   LESSONS   ON   THE  TEACHER  IO7 


not  needing  themselves  to  be  explained  or  illustrated — and  therefore 
familiar — lying  within  the  scope  of  the  pupil's  thoughts  or  observa- 
tion, and  obvious — not  obscure  or  farfetched  in  their  applications." 

I.  Illustrations  are  found: 

(i)  In  the  Bible.  Too  much  cannot  be  said,  nor  can  it  be  repeated 
too  frequently,  concerning  the  necessity  that  the  teacher  of  spiritual 
truth  shall  be  familiar  with  his  Bible.  (See  Lesson  II.)  For  the 
purpose  of  illustration  the  Bible  is  an  exhaustless  mine.  Alas  !  that 
it  is  not  better  worked. 

(2)  In  nature.  Jesus  was  not  only  a  profound  and  appreciative 
student  of  the  Bible,  but  also  of  nature,  to  which  he  constantly 
referred  in  his  teaching,  and  from  which  he  drew  many  tflling 
illustrations. 

(3)  In  everday  life.  "Last  week,  when  I  was  coming  along 
Walnut  Street,  I  saw" — the  teacher  gets  no  further  than  this  before 
every  eye  in  the  class  is  fixed  upon  her  and  every  ear  is  attent  to 
hear  what  she  is  going  to  say,  because  an  appeal  is  being  made  along 
the  plane  of  the  pupil's  everyday  life. 

(4)  In  reading.  A  successful  teacher  of  teachers  declares  that 
he  gets  many  of  his  illustrations  from  the  newspapers.  History  and 
biography  are  teeming  with  striking  illustrations  for  our  Sabbath- 
school  lessons.  From  his  reading  in  science  the  teacher  will  get 
many  helpful  illustrations.  In  a  word,  all  that  the  teacher  reads  or 
studies  may  be  made  contributory  to  his  power  in  making  clear  the 
word  of  God. 

(5)  In  conversation.  The  good  things  that  are  heard  in  ordinary 
conversation  are  too  frequently  neglected  by  those  who  need  only 
to  form  the  habit  of  preserving  them  to  be  continuously  increasing 
their  resources  for  effective  illustrating  of  the  Sabbath-school 
lesson. 

Perhaps  the  difficulty  is  not  so  much  in  obtaining  illustrations  as 
in  preserving  them  so  that  they  will  be  available  for  use  when 
required. 

H.  Illustrations  may  be  preserved: 

(i)  In  the  memory.  This  is  the  very  best  place  in  which  to  pre- 
serve an  illustration.  But  how  can  I  get  it  there  and  keep  it  there? 
The  answer  is  simple.     As  soon  as  possible  after  hearing  a  good 


I08  TEACHER-TRATNINC   COURSE 


illustrations  tell  it  to  some  one.     Then  tell  it  again  and  again.     The 
way  to  make  it  your  own  is  to  give  it  away. 

(2)  Iji  a  notebook.  If  it  is  impossible  to  tell  the  good  thing  that 
you  have  received,  the  second  best  method  of  retaining  it  is  to  write 
it  down.  A  notebook  should  be  kept  for  the  purpose  of  preserving 
good  illustrations,  but  beware  of  leaving  them  in  the  book  unused. 

(3)  In  a  scraphook.     This  is  for  clippings  and  for  pictures. 

(4)  In  a  card  index.  Better  than  a  scrapbook  is  a  box  of  cards 
like  those  used  for  library  catalogues,  on  which  may  be  written  or 
pasted  illustrations,  which  should  be  arranged  alphabetically  accord- 
ing to  subjects. 

(5)  In  a  cabinet.  Pictures,  objects,  symbols,  drawings,  etc.,  may 
be  preserved  in  a  cabinet.  This  may  be  nothing  more  than  a  paper 
box  or  it  may  be  as  elaborate  as  the  collector's  taste  may  dictate 
or  his  means  will  allow.  It  will  be  of  little  value,  however,  unless 
an  alphabetical  index  of  its  contents  is  made  and  used. 

III.  Illustrations  should,  be  employed: 

(i)  With  care  and  discrimination.  Not  too  many  illustrations 
should  be  used.  The  same  illustration  should  not  be  used  frequently 
nor  in  connection  with  different  truths. 

(2)  To  interest  the  pupil.  In  order  to  serve  this  purpose  the 
illustrations  must  be  on  the  plane  of  the  pupils'  knowledge  or  ex- 
perience and  given  in  language  which  they  understand. 

(3)  To  illustrate  truth.  The  oft-quoted  architectural  principle, 
"Ornament  construction,  do  not  construct  ornaments,"  is  applicable 
here.  Occasionally  an  illustration  may  be  given  for  its  own  sake 
for  the  purpose  of  gaining  the  attention  of  the  pupils,  but  such  a 
practice  should  be  guarded  against.  The  habit  of  looking  up  illus- 
trations before  the  truth  to  be  taught  has  been  selected  is  a  harmful 
one. 

(4)  To  impress  the  truth.  This  was  the  Master's  object  in  using 
illustrations,  and  should  be  ours.  We  are  not  true  to  our  office  as 
Bible  teachers  if  we  neglect  the  spiritual  side  of  illustrations. 
There  is  nothing  that  will  help  us  more  in  our  efforts  to  make  our 
illustrations  effective  in  the  highest  sense  than  such  a  development 
of  our  own  spiritual  life  as  will  make  us  keenly  sensitive  to  spiritual 
realities. 


SEVEN   LESSONS   ON    THE  TEACHER  lOQ 

LESSON  VI 

THE   TEACHER  AND   HIS   PUPILS 

"He  knew  what  was  in  man." 

In  the  consideration  of  the  Sabbath-school  teacher's  relation  to 
the  pupil  it  is  taken  for  granted  that  the  teacher  is  a  Christian  and 
therefore  that  he 

(i)  Prays  for  the  pupils. 

(2)  Studies  the  Bible  in  order  to  teach. 

(3)  Sets  the  pupils  a  good  example. 

In  addition  to  these  things  the  teacher  who  appreciates  his  priv- 
ileges and  the  possibilities  of  his  work  must  bear  the  following  rela- 
tionship to  his  pupils.     That  of 

I.  Study.  Any  teacher  who  neglects  to  study  his  pupils  cannot 
do  justice  to  himself,  to  them,  or  to  the  truth  he  wishes  to  impress. 
Truth  is  truth,  but  not  all  truths  are  for  all  individuals.  They  cannot 
all  be  understood  nor  received  by  all  persons.  Therefore,  in  order 
to  know  what  truths  an  individual  needs  and  is  able  to  receive,  the 
teacher  must  study  him  in  relation  to  his 

(i)    Ways  of  thinking. 

(2)  Knozvledge. 

(3)  Language. 

(4)  Temperament. 

(5)  Reading. 

(6)  Home  life. 

(7)  Companions. 

(8)  Progress  in  sin  or  in  righteousness. 

This  task  may  seem  to  be  an  almost  impossible  one,  but  it  may 
be  accomplished  by  the  teacher's  taking  such  a  real  interest  in  his 
pupil  that  he  will 

(i)    Visit  his  home. 

(2)  Talk  with  him  outside  of  the  Sabbath  school. 

(3)  Talk  zvith  those  who  have  opportunities  to  observe  him. 

(4)  Keep  his  eyes  and  ears  open  in  order  to  get  better  acquainted 
with  him. 

(5)  So  put  together  the  facts  observed  that  he  zvill  be  able  to  make 
the  proper  deductions  therefrom. 


no  TEACHER-TRAINING    COURSE 

It  is  very  helpful  for  the  teacher  to  understand  the  various  char- 
acteristics that  are  manifested  by  pupils  during  the  different  stages 
of  their  development,  so  that  when  they  appear  they  will  suggest 
how  the  pupils  should  be  treated. 

II.  Sympathy.  One  great  drawback  to  our  success  as  teachers 
is  that  the  older  we  become  the  more  prone  are  we  to  get  away 
from  the  viewpoint  of  those  who  are  young.  In  order  to  sympathize 
with  our  pupils  we  should  know: 

(i)   Their  point  of  viezu. 

(2)  The  difficulties  from  zvithout  and  zuithin  with  zvhich  they  have 
to  contend. 

(3)  Their  misconceptions  of  truth,  due  to  ignorance,  had  example, 
or  improper  instruction. 

For  pupils  in  the  Beginners'  Class  and  in  the  Primary  Department, 
the  teacher's  sympathy  may  be  manifested  by  evidences  of  affection. 
As  the  pupils  grow  older  they  resent  any  exhibition  of  sympathy  on 
the  part  of  the  teacher.  Many  pupils  of  the  adolescent  period  have 
been  driven  from  the  Sabbath  school  by  foolish  teachers  who  loved 
them  not  too  much  but  too  openly.  With  these  older  pupils,  sym- 
pathy should  be  manifested  by 

(i)  Patience  with  their  infirmities. 

(2)  Helpfulness  in  their  struggles. 

(3)  Refusal  to  think  or  to  speak  ill  of  them. 

(4)  An  attitude  of  hopefulness  as  to  their  triumph  over  self  and  sin. 

III.  Sincerity.  A  little  child  soon  detects  insincerity  on  the 
part  of  an  older  person.  In  that  literal,  matter-of-fact  period  from 
nine  to  twelve  years  of  age  there  is  nothing  that  will  vitiate  the 
teacher's  influence  so  quickly  or  so  completely  as  the  manifestation 
of  the  least  insincerity.  The  young  people  may  tacitly  or  verbally 
claim  for  themselves  the  right  to  deviate  from  the  straight  lines  of 
honesty  and  rectitude,  but  woe  to  that  teacher  who  attempts  to  do  as 
the  pupils  do.  Later  on,  the  adolescent  who  takes  such  liberties  with 
truth  and  honesty  that  one  might  almost  conclude  that  he  has  no 
moral  sense,  is  closely  watching  his  elders  and  is  greatly  disappointed 
if  they  descend  to  any  insincerity. 

IV.  Simplicity.  One  of  the  greatest  charms  of  the  Master's 
teaching  is  its  simplicity,  lie  taught  the  people  that  which  they  could 
understand,  reduced  great  truths  to  their  simplest  terms,  and  ex- 


SEVEN  LESSONS   ON   THE  TEACHER  III 

pressed  them  in  language  with  which  his  hearers  were  familiar.  A 
very  helpful  exercise  for  one  who  really  wishes  to  influence  others 
for  good  is  to  make  an  especial  study  of  the  simplicity  of  Jesus,  his 
simplicity  of  thought,  of  language,  of  method,  of  life. 

V.  Suggestion.  Many  teachers  fail  because  they  speak  dog- 
matically. The  pupils  get  the  impression  that  certain  things  are  said, 
not  because  they  are  true  or  helpful  in  themselves,  but  because 
the  teacher  wants  to  say  them.  The  value  of  suggestion  has  yet  to 
be  fully  realized.     The  teacher  may  suggest  by  his 

(i)  Language. 

(2)  Manner. 

(3)  Life. 

(4)  Attitude  toward  truth. 


LESSON  VII 

THE   TEACHER'S   MODEL 

"Never  man  spake  like  this  man." 

The  Sabbath-school  teacher  may  have  many  models,  but  there  is 
one  who  stands  preeminently  as  his  exemplar,  that  is  Jesus,  the 
Master  Teacher,  he  who  taught  with  authority  and  not  as  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees.  We  will  look  at  three  of  the  elements  of  his  teach- 
ing power,  namely : — 


JESUS 


)     PERSONALITY 
KNOWLEDGE 
METHOD 


I.  Jesus'  Personality.  This  was  unique.  No  other  teacher  like 
him  has  ever  appeared.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  compare  him 
with  Zoroaster,  Buddha,  Confucius,  and  others  of  the  world's  great 
teachers,  but  such  attempts  have  always  resulted  only  in  emphasizing 
the  contrast  between  him  and  them. 

Again,  his  personality  was  suggestive.  That  is  to  say,  he  became 
man  in  order  to  show  what  man  might  become.  Hence,  in  all 
manifestations  of  himself  he  suggested  what  man  might  be  and  do. 

Moreover,  his  personality  is  transmitted  to  those  who  desire  to 
become    like    him.     "Christlikeness"    is    a    term    that    is    frequently 


TT2  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


Uttered  very  lightly,  but  it  stands  for  a  great  and  blessed  reality, 
namely;  the  possibility  of  the  disciple  becoming  like  the  Master. 

II.  Jesus'  Knowledge.  If  knowledge  alone  were  the  necessary 
preparation  for  an  effective  teacher,  then  Jesus  was  qualified  in  a 
preeminent  degree.  He  knew  his  subject  thoroughly  and  he  also 
knew  those  whom  he  was  to  instruct.  In  these  respects  the  success- 
ful teacher  must  take  him  as  his  model.  Among  the  things  that 
Jesus  knew  were : 

(i)  His  Father.  Speaking  from  the  standpoint  of  his  humanity, 
he  was  most  intimately  acquainted  with  God. 

(2)  The  truth.  In  one  sense  Christ  himself  was  the  truth,  in 
another  sense  he  apprehended  truth  as  no  other  one  has  ever  done. 
This  should  encourage  the  teacher  in  his  effort  to  get  acquainted 
with  Jesus  in  order  to  know  the  truth  itself. 

(3)  The  Scriptures.  It  is  evident,  not  only  that  Jesus  had  mas- 
tered the  Scriptures  as  they  existed  in  his  day,  but  also  that  he 
had  great  power  as  the  result  of  his  knowledge.  To  him  they  were 
indeed,  on  the  one  hand,  a  veritable  sword,  and  on  the  other  hand, 
the  seed  from  which  he  expected  a  great  harvest. 

(4)  His  pupils.  How  much  of  the  Master's  effectiveness  resulted 
from  his  knowledge  of  those  whom  he  instructed,  it  is  very  difficult, 
to  assert,  but  we  know  that  this  knowledge  was  not  only  great  and 
accurate,  but  was  applied  with  wonderful  results. 

(5)  Methods.  While  the  Gospels  say  nothing  about  pedagogical 
methods,  they  show  that  Jesus  was  a  master  of  method.  For  ex- 
ample :  Take  the  conversation  of  Jesus  with  the  woman  of  Samaria 
at  the  well,  and  see  how  he  applied  the  three  great  pedagogical  prin- 
ciples of  apperception,  correlation,  and  concentration.  To-day,  as 
never  before,  the  Sabbath-school  teacher  who  accepts  Christ  as  a 
model  must  be  a  student  of  methods. 

III.  Jesus'  Method.  The  most  noticeable  characteristic  of  the 
Master's  teaching  is  the  seeming  absence  of  all  method.  In  this 
respect  one  who  most  closely  imitates  him  will  be  the  best  teacher. 
The  greatest  fault  in  many  teachers  is  that  they  fall  into  ruts  (which 
they  imagine  are  methods),  to  the  great  weariness  and  often  the 
repulsion  of  those  whom  they  are  trying  to  influence.  There  are 
some  characteristics  at  the  base  of  Jesus'  teaching  which  should 
be  considered  until  their  importance  is  realized. 

(i)   Loz'e.     At    the    foundation    of    all    of    his    work    was    love. 


SEVEN   LESSONS   ON   THE  TEACHER  ll3 

"Lovest  thou  me?"  was  the  question  asked  of  Peter  when  he  was 
to  be  sent  out  as  a  spiritual  shepherd  of  young  and  old. 

(2)  Tact.  This  is  the  power  to  touch.  Everywhere  in  the  min- 
istry of  Jesus  it  was  his  touch  that  counted  for  most.  So,  to-day, 
the  personal  touch  of  the  teacher  counts  for  much. 

(3)  Helpfulness.  Jesus'  ministry  was  one  of  helpfulness.  A 
teacher  may  be  profound  or  brilliant  or  both,  and  leave  the  pupil 
just  where  he  was  before.  Great  teachers,  like  Phillips  Brooks,  have 
been  helpful  ones. 

(4)  Simplicity.  The  Master's  teaching  was  simple,  not  in  the 
sense  that  it  was  not  worthy  of  consideration,  but  in  the  sense  that 
it  was  free  from  affectation,  artificiality,  intricacy,  or  complication. 
The  common  people  heard  him  gladly  because  they  understood  what 
he  said. 

(5)  Illustration.  The  common  things  of  life  were  made  by  Jesus 
vehicles  for  conveying  to  the  people  the  wonderful  truths  which  he 
taught. 

(6)  Personality.  Not  only  was  the  personality  of  the  Great 
Teacher  marked,  but  he  appealed  to  the  personality  of  his  pupils. 
He  did  not  instruct  people  in  great  masses  so  much  as  individually. 

(7)  Earnestness.  There  was  a  tremendous  earnestness  about  the 
Master's  teaching.  To  him  God,  duty,  the  life  here,  and  the  life 
hereafter,  were  realities.  He  taught  for  time  and  eternity.  The  real 
imitator  of  the  Great  Model  will  so  strive  to  teach  that  his  pupils 
will  live  the  proper  kind  of  life  here  and  be  prepared  for  the 
eternity  beyond. 


JhMLr?     AT     JACOBS     WELL 


THIRD  TERM— PART  II 

SIX    LESSONS    ON    THE    PUPIL 


Lesson  VIIL 

Play. 

IX. 

Infancy. 

X. 

Childhood. 

XL 

Childhood   (Continued). 

XIL 

Youth. 

XIIL     Youth   (Continued). 


LESSON  VIII 

PLAY 

I.  Teaching  and  lecturing  are  different  things.  The  teacher 
thinks,  first  and  last,  of  the  scholars  before  him.  The  good  teacher 
does  not  do  all  the  talking.  The  lecturer  tells  his  story  without 
much  thought  of  the  individuals  in  his  audience.  He  is  like  a  steam- 
ship which  plows  its  way  through  the  sea  without  regard  to  wind 
or  wave.  The  captain  of  the  sailing  ship,  on  the  other  hand,  must 
study  the  whims  of  the  wind  and  not  forget  how  the  waves  are 
running.  So  must  the  true  teacher  study  the  peculiarities  of  his 
scholars  and  adapt  hooks,  courses  of  study,  and  methods  of  instruc- 
tion, to  their  needs.  If  to  know  his  scholars  is  as  important  for  the 
teacher  of  the  public  school  as  to  be  learned  in  the  subject  to  be 
taught,  much  more  important  is  it  for  the  teacher  whose  chief  in- 
terest is  the  religious  character  of  his  pupils. 

II.  It  is  not  an  easy  thing  to  read  the  mind  of  a  child.     An 

amusing  story  is  told  and  the  child  joins  in  the  laugh.  You  credit 
the  child  with  a  good  sense  of  humor,  because  you  think  that  his 
laugh  was  prompted,  like  yours,  by  a  lively  sense  of  the  ridiculous. 
In  reality,  he  laughed  because  the  others  did  so.  Imitation,  not  a 
keen  sense  of  humor,  was  the  cause.  The  infant  of  a  few  days 
old  smiles,  and  the  nurse  is  charmed  with  the  child's  response 
to  her  fondling.  The  physician  calls  it  a  "colic  smile."  We  read 
too  much  of  ourselves  into  the  young.  A  little  child  is  not  a  man  in 
miniature.  In  like  manner,  lovers  of  animals  attribute  to  them  the 
intelligence  and  graces  of  man. 

HI.  How  discover  the  secrets  of  the  child's  mind? 

(i)  Speech  cannot  reveal  them.  Even  the  old  find  that  speech 
but  half  reveals  and  half  conceals. 

(2)  Gestures  are  less  reliable  than  speech.  Not  only  in  ability 
to  reveal  the  hidden  things  of  the  mind  is  the  child  lacking,  but  also 
in  inclination. 

(3)  Perhaps  the  plays  of  the  child  are  the  best  signs.  Play  has 
no  definite  aim  like  work.  It  is  the  expression  of  the  tendencies 
of  the  child's  nature  in  those  forms  which  are  easy,  and  therefore 
pleasant. 

Some  have  thought  play  a  mere  outlet  for  surplus  energy;  others 

?7 


Il8  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


have  attributed  it  to  imitation.  These  are  partial  truths.  There  is 
Httle  or  no  play  where  energy  is  lacking;  imitation  directs  play  into 
certain  channels.  But  plays  are  not  merely  ways  in  which  the  in- 
herited tendencies  of  the  child  find  expression ;  they  are  also  ways 
in  which  the  child  prepares  for  life.  Strength  of  limb  and  lung, 
skill  in  deed  and  knowledge  of  fact,  come  from  play. 

(4)  To  the  teacher,  then,  whose  business  it  is  to  prepare  the  young 
for  life,  plays  are  doubly  significant.  They  not  only  reveal  the 
nature  of  the  child's  mind,  but  they  point  out  the  ways  in  which  the 
child  may  be  prepared  for  life.  Education  is  little  more  than  or- 
ganized play.  So  Froebel  thought;  and  so  even  the  austere  John 
Locke  believed.  Should  not  our  Sabbath  schools  strive  to  use 
rather  than  suppress  the  activity  of  the  child? 

IV.  Well  marked  are  the  differences  between  the  plays  of 
the  different  periods  of  early  life.  They  indicate  equally  great 
differences  in  the  mental  characteristics  of  those  periods.  The  plays 
of  the  infant  do  not  attract  the  boy.  The  youth  views  with  con- 
tempt the  games  of  the  child. 

(i)  The  infant  takes  delight  in  pulling,  handling,  shaking,  rattling 
a  new  toy,  in  looking  at  it  from  every  side,  in  experimenting  with  it. 
He  is  content  to  play  alone. 

(2)  The  child  longs  for  a  playmate  with  whom  he  may  race,  climb, 
shout,  jump,  measure  strength  and  skill.  His  games  require  more 
strength  and  suppleness  of  muscle,  more  skill  and  knowledge,  than 
those  of  the  infant. 

(3)  The  youth  delights  in  puzzles,  games  of  skill,  feats  of  strength. 
Not  only  do  his  games  require  more  "head-work,"  they  also  involve 
"team-work."  While  the  infant  is  solitary  in  his  play,  and  the  child 
strives  to  surpass  his  playmates,  the  youth  cooperates  with  his  team. 

(4)  The  plays  of  infancy  are  experimental  and  non-competitive; 
those  of  childhood  are  competitive  but  individualistic;  those  of 
youth  are  competitions  between  teams. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  does  teaching  differ  from  telling? 

2.  Why  is  it  difficult  to  read  the  mind  of  a  child? 

3.  What  is  the  best  clue  to  the  nature  of  the  child? 

4.  "Plays  are  doubly  significant."     Explain. 

5.  In  what  respects  do  the  plays  of  infancy,  of  childhood,  and  of 

youth,  differ? 


SIX   LESSONS   ON    THE  PUPIL  IIQ 


LESSON  IX 

INFANCY 

For  the  sake  of  convenience  we  may  divide  the  life  of  the  young 
into  three  periods:  (i)  Infancy,  covering  the  first  five  years; 
(2)  Childhood,  or  the  Primary  school  age,  extending  from  the  fifth 
to  the  twelfth  year;  (3)  Youth,  the  transitional  period,  closing  with 
the  beginning  of  manhood  at  twenty-one. 

In  the  early  years  of  infancy  physical  groiuth  is  at  its  greatest. 
Thereafter  follows  a  period  of  slower  but  uniform  growth,  with  per- 
haps a  slight  pause  about  the  seventh  year.  About  the  beginning 
of  youth  there  is  another  rapid  increase,  first  in  height,  later  in 
weight.  "This  rapid  increase  begins  earlier  with  girls.,  but  lasts 
longer  with  boys."  After  the  twentieth  year  there  is  little  increase 
in  height.  The  various  parts  of  the  body  do  not  grow  at  the  same 
rate. 

But  more  important  than  increase  in  size  is  change  of  structure 
or  of  the  character  of  the  tissue.  This  change  in  character  accom- 
panies or  speedily  follows  increase  in  size,  and  is  of  great  significance 
for  mental  development.  Such  changes  are  greatest  in  the  early 
days  of  infancy  and  in  the  first  years  of  youth.  The  clay  cottage 
is  undergoing  extensive  repairs  for  the  accommodation  of  the  new 
life  within. 

I.  Characteristics  of  Growth 

What  are  the  leading  characteristics  of  the  grozvth  of  the  mind 
during  infancy f    What  do  the  plays  of  the  child  reveal? 

(i)  As  you  watch  him  handling,  shaking,  rattling,  a  new  toy,  rub- 
bing it  with  his  fingers,  putting  it  into  his  mouth,  turning  it  over  and 
looking  at  it  from  every  side,  you  are  impressed  with  his  curiosity. 
Later  his  questions,  increasing  and  unanswerable,  confirm  the  earlier 
impression.     He  is  possessed  of  an  insatiable  curiosity. 

(2)  Again,  when  you  see  him  trying  to  make  the  sound  or  gesture 
which  you  have  made,  trying  to  copy  you  in  word  and  deed,  or 
trying  to  reproduce  in  the  nursery  what  he  has  seen  and  heard  of 
the  life  around  him,  you  marvel  at  the  strength  and  persistency  of 
his  tendency  to  imitate. 

(3)  Curiosity  and  imitation  are  the  keynotes  of  infancy.  They  do 
not  disappear  in  after  life,  nor  may  they  lose  much  strength ;  yet  in 


120  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

infancy  they  reach  the  height  of  their  power.     Curiosity   lays  the 
foundations  of  knozvlcdge,  imitation  of  character. 

The  child's  knowledge  of  an  apple  is  made  up  of  the  colors  which 
appear  to  the  eye,  the  tastes  which  are  received  by  the  mouth,  the 
roundness,  smoothness,  softness,  and  weight,  which  appear  to  the 
touch.  Curiosity  impels  him  to  touch,  to  handle,  to  taste,  to  in- 
spect, the  apple  or  any  new  object  which  may  come  into  his  ken. 
In  all  this,  he  is  accumulating  sensations  or  adding  to  his  stock  of 
ideas.  Later,  curiosity,  when  properly  directed,  converts  him  into  a 
scientist,  ingenious  in  experiment  and  persistent  in  research. 

II.  Habits  and  Character 

(i)  The  habits  which  enter  into  character  are  the  results  of  actions 
well  or  ill  directed.  The  direction  of  these  actions  makes  or  mars 
character.  How  may  they  be  directed?  The  proverb  says:  "Ex- 
ample is  better  than  precept."  Why?  Because  it  makes  use  of  the 
strong  tendency  to  imitate.  Imitation  appears  in  the  first  year,  grows 
with  the  boy's  growth,  and  strengthens  with  his  strength.  The  ear- 
liest actions  of  the  child  cannot  be  controlled  by  precept.  His  intel- 
ligence is  unequal  to  the  task.  Thus,  imitation  being  useful  and 
strong,  when  habits  are  being  formed,  practically  molds  character. 

(2)  To  him  who  is  interested  in  the  child's  growth  in  character  it 
is  self-evident  that  the  all-important  thing  is  to  fashion  his  environ- 
ment in  the  likeness  of  that  which  you  wish  him  to  become — to 
surround  him  with  objects  of  moral  beauty,  be  they  graven  in  marble, 
embodied  in  literature,  or  caught  up  into  the  lives  of  men,  and  his 
life  will  glow  with  their  beauty  as  the  lake  returns  the  glory  of 
the  sunlit  sky. 

III.  Eye- gate 

To  him  who  seeks  an  easy  entrance  into  the  mind  for  that  knowl- 
edge of  men  and  nature  which  all  prize,  the  question  arises,  "For 
which  kind  of  intellectual  food  does  curiosity  crave  most?"  Is  the 
hunger  for  sights  greater  than  that  for  sounds,  or  for  touches,  or 
for  tastes?  In  early  infancy  this  hunger  for  sensations  is  so  great 
in  every  form  that  the  slight  advantage  which  sight  and  touch  have 
over  the  others  may  almost  be  neglected.  But  later,  sight  becomes 
despotic,  and  few  there  be  who  care  to  starve  it  in  order  that  touch 
or  hearing  may  become  great.  Appeal  to  the  eye  if  you  seek  an 
easy  entrance ;  but  success  is  certain  where  a  joint  appeal  to  eye, 
car,  and  touch,  is  possible.     Such  an  appeal  is  made  in  blackboard 


SIX    LESSONS    ON    THE   PUPIL  121 

drawings,  done  in  the  presence  of  all,  according  to  directions.  The 
Sabbath  school  should  strive  to  make  as  much  of  pictures,  illustra- 
tions, blackboards,  drawings,  as  the  public  school. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Into  what  periods  may  the  life  of  the  young  be  divided? 

2.  State  the  more  important  facts  about  the  growth  of  the  body. 

3.  What  parts  do  curiosity  and  imitation  play  in  the  mental  growth 

of  the  child? 

4.  How  can  character  be  molded? 

5.  Which  gate  opens  most  easily — eye-gate,  ear-gate,  or  feel- 
gate? 

LESSON  X 

CHILDHOOD 
I.  Characteristics  of: 

(i)  The  chief  characteristic  in  the  plays  of  childhood  is  the  spirit 
of  rivalry  or  competition.  The  child  is  becoming  conscious  of  his 
growing  power  and  increasing  skill,  and  is  anxious  to  prove  it  to 
all  the  world.  He  boasts  of  his  speed,  his  strength,  his  skill,  his 
possessions,  the  marvelous  things  which  the  members  of  his  family 
have  or  can  do.  In  deed  as  in  word  he  is  ready  to  show  his  su- 
periority. Racing,  jumping,  climbing,  simple  games  of  skill,  he 
enters  into  with  a  strong  desire  to  surpass  his  fellows. 

(2)  The  child  is  absorbed  in  self.  Competition  springs  from 
regard  for  self. 

The  world  to  the  infant  is  centered  in  self,  but  he  is  quite  un- 
conscious of  the  extent  to  which  he  claims  a  monopoly.  The  child 
is  more  conscious  of  the  conflict  between  the  interests  of  self  and 
of  others,  and  he  strives  to  assert  himself.  Still  his  self-regard 
lacks  the  stain  of  vice  which  marks  the  selfishness  of  the  youth,  who 
realizes  the  meaning  of  the  conflict  and  consciously  prefers  the 
selfish  course. 

The  child's  self-regard  has  its  good  side.  It  leads  to  the  strength 
and  knowledge  afterwards  needed,  when  aid  is  given  to  others.  The 
philanthropist  must  first  accumulate  wealth  before  he  can  dis- 
tribute it. 

How  should  the  teacher  deal  with  the  spirit  of  rivalry  and  the 
selfishness  from  which  it  springs?     Should  he  try  to  suppress  or  to 


122  TEACHER-TRAINING  COURSE 


regulate  and  use  it?  Some  recommend  that  to  every  boy  be  as- 
signed a  rival,  whom  he  is  urged  to  surpass.  Others  would  abolish 
all  prizes  and  records  and  appeal  only  to  a  sense  of  duty. 

The  danger  of  the  lirst  course  lies  in  converting  the  self-regard  of 
childhood  into  a  selfish  character,  fixed  and  settled  for  life.  The 
second  course  tends  to  indolence  and  inefficiency.  Rivalry  is  the 
spur  to  industry.  Besides,  an  appeal  to  motives  beyond  his  years 
may  breed  a  lasting  aversion  in  the  child. 

(3)   Childhood  is  an  age  of  intense  activity. 

Competition  means  activity.  The  little  girl  will  skip  till  she  drops 
exhausted.  The  boy  never  seems  to  tire  of  running,  shouting,  jump- 
ing, playing  ball. 

II.  Habit  Formation  in: 

Activity  results  in  increase  of  skill  in  the  habits  that  make  up 
character. 

(i)  Character  shows  itself  in  what  we  do  and  how  we  do  it;  and 
habits  are  simply  ways  of  doing  things. 

(2)  The  foundations  of  habits  are  laid  in  infancy.  Childhood 
deepens  these  habits,  adds  new  ones,  groups  new  and  old  together 
in  various  ways. 

(3)  Physical  illustrations  throw  much  light  on  the  way  habits 
are  formed.  If  you  wish  a  piece  of  paper  to  acquire  a  certain  habit 
or  way  of  folding,  you  must  at  first  crease  it  deeply.  Repeated  pres- 
sure but  confirms  the  habit.  If  you  fold  it  once  in  one  direction 
and  a  second  time  in  a  slightly  dift'erent  direction  the  paper  is  un- 
certain in  the  manner  of  its  folding. 

(4)  Certain  rules  are  suggested  by  this  illustration : 

(a)  In  beginning  a  habit  let  your  first  act  be  as  decided  as  possible. 

(b)  Repetition  strengthens  a  habit. 

(c)  Never  suffer  an  exception  to  occur  until  the  habit  is  estab- 
lished. 

III.  Character  Molding  in: 

How  mold  the  character  of  the  child?  In  childhood  as  in  in- 
fancy the  child  is  like  an  instrument  played  upon  by  the  acts,  speech, 
and  emotions,  of  those  about  him.  So  amenable  to  control  is  he  that 
this  has  been  called  the  age  of  obedience. 

There  is  a  difiference,  however.  As  the  cliild  grows  older  he 
becomes  more  susceptible  to  influences  beyond  the  home  circle.     Thus 


SIX  LESSONS   ON   THE  PUPIL  I23 


it  has  been  found  that  of  a  large  number  of  boys  at  the  age  of  eight 
about  three  out  of  every  four  expressed  a  desire  to  be  Hke  some  one 
in  the  circle  of  the  home  or  near  friends,  but  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
five  out  of  every  six  selected  a  hero  from  the  characters  of  history 
and  biography.  Hence  the  appeal  to  the  child  should  be  made 
through  the  lives  of  others,  at  first  as  seen  in  the  flesh,  later  in 
biography  or  fiction.     Persons,  not  dogma,  move. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  State  a  leading  characteristic  of  childhood. 

2.  In  w^hat  sense  is  the  child  selfish? 

3.  How  deal  with  the  spirit  of  rivalry? 

4.  What  benefits  result  from  the  activity  of  the  child? 

5.  State  rules  for  forming  habits. 

6.  What  influences  shape  the  character  of  a  child? 

LESSON  XI 

CHILDHOOD  (Continued) 

IV.  Growth  in  Knowledge  in: 

(i)  How  does  our  knowledge  grow/  Our  knowledge  of  an 
orange,  e.  g.,  consists  of  a  yellow  color,  a  round  shape,  a  rough 
touch,  a  soft  pressure,  sweetish-acid  taste,  and  so  on.  Does 
knowledge  grow  by  adding  a  color  to  a  touch,  a  taste  to  a  pressure 
as  we  add  "a''  and  "x"  to  "c"?  Or  does  it  grow  like  the  dark  mass 
on  the  sailor's  horizon  which  gradually  takes  form  and  color  until 
the  shore  with  all  its  rich  detail  stands  forth  clear  and  distinct 
before  the  eye?  In  other  words,  does  knowledge  grozu  like  a  building 
by  adding  brick  to  brick,  or  does  it  grow  like  the  unfolding  of  a  leaf? 

The  question  is  important ;  for  as  our  knowledge  grows  so  must 
our  method  of  teaching  be.  Thus,  if  knowledge  follows  the  brick 
and  mortar  type,  we  must  begin  with  the  clear,  distinct  parts,  and 
by  putting  them  together  reset  the  whole ;  but  if  it  follows  the  other 
type,  we  must  begin  with  the  vague  general  impression  and  work 
to  details.  For  example,  in  teaching  reading  according  to  the  brick 
and  mortar  type,  we  should  begin  with  the  letters  and  through  syl- 
lables and  words  reach  sentences;  or,  in  teaching  the  story  of  the 
turning  of  water  into  wine,  we  should  give  each  minute  detail  about 
guests,  time,  customs,  water,  and  wine,  as  we  proceed.     The  other 


124  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


type  counsels  us  to  begin  with  the  general  impression  and  follow  the 
leading  of  interest  as  it  moves  toward  details. 

Which  does  the  child  note  first,  vague  object  or  minute  detail? 
To  the  little  child  every  man  is  "daddy."  The  approaching  dog,  the 
mooing  cow,  the  trotting  horse,  appear  as  "puss."  The  green  apple, 
the  white  bun,  as  well  as  the  colored  ball,  are  recognized  as  "ba." 
Even  by  the  adult  the  stranger  seen  for  a  moment  is  remembered 
in  a  general  way  with  perhaps  one  or  two  striking  features. 

(2)  These  and  other  facts  seem  to  lead  to  the  conclusion  that 
our  knowledge  begins  with  a  vague  something  which  gradually  takes 
shape  and  decks  itself  with  colors,  sounds,  touches,  tastes,  etc. 

V.    Memory    in: 

(i)  In  childhood  the  memory  is  tenacious.  Though  the  child's 
memory  may  be  less  useful  than  that  of  the  adult,  relatively  to  his 
other  powers  it  is  stronger.  The  boy  who  forgets  or  twists  a  mes- 
sage is  probably  deficient  not  in  memory  but  in  the  power  to  grasp 
the  meaning  of  things  new  and  numerous. 

(2)  The  boy's  memory  is  haphazard.  So  miscellaneous  are  the 
facts  remembered  that  the  contents  of  his  memory  have  been  likened 
to  those  of  his  pocket.  All  sorts  of  information,  useful,  useless, 
and  indifferent,  are  to  be  found  there.  Later,  when  this  chaotic 
memory  fails,  the  man  must  rely  upon  system.  His  systematic 
memory  is  more  under  control. 

(3)  In  childhood  the  memory  should  be  fed.  Then  must  the  rich 
stores  of  language,  fact,  and  formulae,  be  laid  away.  Arbitrary  dates, 
symbols,  words  singly  or  joined  in  prose  or  poetry,  are  now  re- 
membered with  less  dependence  upon  their  meaning  than  later. 

VI.   Imagination  in: 

(i)    The  games  of  childhood  reveal  strong  imaginative  pozver. 
(2)   There  are  three  stages  in  the  growth  of  imagination. 

(a)  The  fancy  of  the  infant  sees  startling  resemblances  in  com- 
mon things.  The  fallen  feather  is  a  "hen's  leaf,"  the  butterfly,  a 
"flying  pansy,"  a  dewdrop,  "God's  tear."  Increasing  knowledge  ob- 
scures these  likenesses. 

(b)  The  imitative  imagination  opens  a  new  world  in  which  the 
•hild  may  live.     The  little  street  arab,  playing  millionaire,  gets  more 

joy  out  of  life  than  his  model.  The  little  lass  fondles  the  dirty  rag 
doll  with  a  passion  as  intense  as  that  of  a  young  mother.     This  is  no 


SIX   LESSONS   ON   THE  PUPIL  125 

make-believe  world.  The  little  actor  is  unconscious  of  his  part. 
So  shadowy  are  the  boundaries  between  the  worlds  of  fancy  and  of 
fact  that  truth  and  fiction  melt  into  each  other.  Here  again  in- 
creasing experience  checks  childish  exaggeration. 

From  four  to  seven  this  imitative  imagination  is  at  its  height; 
and  through  it  the  child  enters  into  the  life  of  the  large  world 
round  him. 

(c)  Later,  constructive  imagination  appears  in-  new  plans,  new 
stratagems,  new  devices.  When  the  hunting  passion  becomes  strong, 
the  boy's  desire  to  overcome  stimulates  his  imagination  to  invent 
new  snares,  adopt  new  devices,  form  new  traps.  Thus  he  hopes 
to  deceive  the  shy  trout,  to  snare  the  suspicious  rabbit,  to  outwit  the 
crafty  fox,  to  dupe  the  wary  crow.  He  plans  his  campaign  with  all 
the  care  of  the  general  who  holds  in  his  mind's  eye  the  various 
possible  moves  in  the  game  of  war. 

(3)  Appeal  to  the  imagination  in  teaching  from  pulpit  or  desk. 
Vivid  images,  palpitating  with  life  and  action,  hold  the  boy  when 
abstract  statements  fail.  The  successful  teacher  makes  actors  and 
scenes  living  and  real. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  does  our  knowledge  grow? 

2.  What  light  does  your  answer  throw  upon  the  proper  way  to 

teach — e.  g.,  the  geography  of  Palestine? 

3.  How  does  the  memory  of  the  boy  differ  from  that  of  the  man? 

4.  What  is  the  best  time  to  teach  (a)  memory  verses,   (b)  cate- 

chism? 

5.  Describe  the  three  varieties  of  imagination. 

6.  How  would  you  teach  the  lesson  of  the  Prodigal  Son  so  as  to 

appeal  to  the  imagination  of  the  boy  of  (a)  seven,  (b)  twelve, 
and  (c)  sixteen? 

LESSON  XII 
YOUTH 

I.  Characteristics  of: 

(i)   Upheaval. 

(a)  The  upheaval  of  youth  is  startling  and  significant.  It  means 
the  awakening  of  new  powers.  Hitherto  the  child  has  taken  on  the 
impress  of  the  world  without.     He  has  been  as  wax  in  the  hands 


126  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

of  parent,  teacher,  or  companion.  Now  he  begins  to  assert  himself, 
to  see  things  for  himself,  to  form  his  own  opinions,  to  act  as  he 
himself  thinks  best. 

(b)  This  upheaval  is  accompanied  or  preceded  by  a  rapid  increase 
in  growth  about  the  eleventh  or  twelfth  year.  The  boy  soon  comes 
to  believe  that  the  customs  and  opinions  of  his  parents  are  like  his 
old  clothes,  too  short  and  too  tight  for  a  man  of  his  capacity.  But 
this  comes  not  without  intense  emotion. 

(2)  Passion.  Youth  is  a  tempestuous  season.  The  youth  is 
startled,  may  be  appalled,  by  the  intensity  and  the  suddenness  of  the 
changes  in  his  emotions.  From  the  mount  of  enthusiasm  he  plunges 
into  the  abyss  of  despair.  Wild  gusts  of  passion  strike  him,  and  for 
a  time  bear  him  toward  destruction,  then  leave  him  a  prey  to 
remorse.  He  is  overburdened  with  a  consciousness  of  his  imper- 
fections, a  biting  sense  of  sin,  a  brooding  melancholy.  With  these 
there  alternate  enthusiasms,  a  consciousness  of  powers,  apparently 
without  limit,  longings  and  dim  consciousness  of  great  things  within 
his  reach. 

(3)  Enthusiasm.  The  enthusiasm  of  youth  knows  no  barrier,  the 
despair  no  limit.  Possessed  of  an  enthusiasm  the  youth  rivals  the 
fanatic  in  his  capacity  for  doing  the  impossible.  In  the  clutches  of 
despair  he  lacks  the  enterprise  of  a  baby. 

These  experiences  are  extreme  and  not  normal.  Yet  youth  is  a 
time  of  abnormalities,  and  its  nature  is  best  revealed  in  those  ab- 
normalities. 

The  enthusiasm  takes  various  forms — a  craze  for  reading,  a  passion 
for  music  or  art,  a  love  for  poetry  and  verse-making,  a  devotion  to 
nature,  a  delight  in  solitude.  The  new  life  surging  within  seeks 
expression  in  some  form  of  art.  The  discovery  of  the  new  life 
within  opens  the  youth's  eyes  to  the  possibility  of  an  inner  life  in 
nature.  In  solitude  he  seeks  and  finds  communion  with  nature  in 
her  various  moods. 

The  emotional  experiences  of  youth  are  accompanied  by  equally 
intense  intellectual  experiences.  He  claims  the  right  of  a  free  man 
to  think  for  himself.  This  involves  recasting,  reforming  the  ideas 
and  opinions  received  from  tradition. 

(4)  Imagination.  In  constructive  imagination  the  boy  begins  the 
exercise  of  his  right  to  intellectual  freedom.  He  constructs  or 
arranges  his  ideas  in  a  new  way  which  is  his  own.  The  rapid 
development   of  the   reasoning   power,   this   power   of   making  new 


SIX   LESSONS   ON   THE   PUPIL  127 

combinations,  shows  itself  in  the  first  stages  in  the  boy's  delight  in 
puzzles.  At  first  the  puzzles  are  rather  mechanical  and  therefore 
not  too  great  a  tax  upon  his  power  of  thinking  without  images. 
Later  the  more  intellectual  games  and  puzzles  become  more  fas- 
cinating. This  passion  for  reforming  attacks  the  opinions  and  cus- 
toms handed  down  from  father  to  son. 

(5)  Doubt.  The  developing  reason,  the  self-assertiveness,  the 
growing  consciousness  of  the  opposition  between  himself  and  the 
world,  combine  in  making  the  youth  a  doubter.  His  growing  logical 
sense  makes  him  a  remorseless  critic. 

His  doubt  is  not  unbelief,  but  a  state  of  indecision,  an  unstable 
state.  Soon  it  may  and,  indeed,  in  time,  it  must  pass  over  into  a 
more  stable  state — into  belief  or  unbelief.  The  awakening  con- 
sciousness of  self  showing  itself  in  his  self-assertion  makes  the  task 
of  the  wise  counselor  more  difficult. 

Attempt  to  repress  the  doubts  and  you  prepare  for  a  terrific  ex- 
plosion. Attempt  to  drive  them  away,  and  you  find  the  doubter 
in  arms,  defending  an  opinion  once  distrusted  but  now  championed 
with  all  the  tenacity  of  one  holding  to  a  vital  belief.  Repression, 
driving,  yield  disastrous  results.  But  when  it  is  realized  that  each 
youth  must  work  his  own  way  to  the  truth,  much  help  may  be 
given  by  wise  suggestion  and  patient  sympathy. 

(6)  Self-assertion.  In  the  sphere  of  conduct  a  change  is  also 
taking  place.  Hitherto  the  law  from  without,  the  suggestion  or  com- 
mand of  parent  or  teacher  has  been  accepted  as  authoritative.  The 
child  is  obedient. 

Now  the  youth  is  self-assertive,  rebellious,  inclined  to  go  his  own 
way  at  his  own  pace.  He  frames  a  new  ideal  for  himself.  At  first, 
perhaps,  he  adopts  a  hero  whom  he  glorifies,  adding  perfection  unto 
perfection.  Later  he  constructs  his  own  ideal,  maps  out  his  own 
course  in  life.  This  ideal  is  no  simple  requirement,  ministering  to 
man's  ease.  The  youth  has  as  little  patience  with  the  frailties  of 
human  will  as  with  those  of  reason.  Rigor  and  vigor  are  the 
watchwords. 

Intense  and  variable  emotions,  severe  criticism,  and  unstable  doubt, 
self-assertion  and  new  ideals,  are  characteristic  of  the  experiences 
of  youth. 

(7)  Boys  differ  from  girls.  In  this  period  the  mental  dififcrences 
between  boys  and  girls  emerge.  The  girl  develops  a  year  or  two 
earlier  than  the  boy.     Her  experience  is  more  emotional ;  his  more 


128  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 


intellectual.  Her  susceptibility  to  the  influence  of  society  is  stronger ; 
his  self-assertion  and  individuality  are  stronger. 

These  characteristics  will  explain  many  differences.  The  girl  is 
more  subject  to  moods;  the  boy,  once  aroused,  more  deeply  moved. 
He  resists  social  pressure  and  suffers  a  more  intense  emotional  re- 
action as  a  consequence.  Thus  the  intense  religious  experience  of 
men  is  more  prolonged,  the  fainter  experience  is  shorter  than  that 
of  women. 

Women's  susceptibility  to  social  suggestion  has  made  her  more 
self-sacriticing,  more  amenable  to  law,  more  moral,  more  devout  in 
the  discharge  of  religious  duties. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  meant  by  the  upheaval  of  youth? 

2.  Describe  characteristic  emotional  experiences  of  youth. 
^3.  Does  doubt  differ  from  unbelief?     Is  doubt  a  disease? 

4.  Is  there  any  change  in  the  attitude  of  the  young  toward  tradition 

during  youth? 

5.  "Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law."     Has  this  statement  a  sig- 

nificance for  youth? 

6.  How  does  sex  manifest  itself  in  mental  development? 

LESSON  XIII 

YOUTH    (Continued) 

II.  The  Religious  Experiences  of: 

(i)   These  are  very  striking. 

(a)  Religious  customs  recognize  youth  as  a  time  of  awakening. 
At  the  age  of  twelve  Jesus  was  taken  to  the  temple  by  his  parents, 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  Hebrews.  The  confirmation  prac- 
tices of  some  Christian  churches,  the  initiation  rites  of  ancient  and  of 
savage  peoples  recognize  this  as  a  time  of  unusual  religious  ex- 
perience. 

(b)  Religious  biography  and  autobiography  abound  with  sug- 
gestions about  the  awakening  of  the  spiritual  life  in  youth.  The 
modern  statistician,  anxious  to  reach  conclusions  true  for  all  classes 
and  creeds,  has  cast  his  net  far  and  wide,  and  gathered  a  motley 
collection    of   experiences.     The    elaborate    study    of    Starbuck,    the 


SIX    LESSONS    ON   THE   PUPIL 


suggestive  review  of  Coe,  and  the  fascinating  interpretation  of  James, 
may  be  taken  as  representative. 

(2)  Types  of: 

(a)  There  seem  to  be  tzvo  types  of  religious  experience:  The 
dramatic  experience  of  the  convert  from  an  attitude  of  hostihty,  and 
the  silent  aivakening  to  a  new  sense  of  the  value  of  spiritual  things. 
The  difference  between  them  seems  to  be  due  to  surroundings  as 
much  as  to  temperament. 

(b)  The  gentler  spiritual  awakening  is  like  the  breaking  of  the 
day.  Silently  the  darkness  of  the  night  softens  into  the  gray 
of  the  dawn.  Brighter  and  brighter  it  grows  in  the  east  until 
rays  of  light  shoot  quiveringly  across  the  heavens  and  herald  the 
coming  of  the  king  of  light.  Then  a  rim  of  gold,  crested  with  fire, 
slowly  emerges  above  the  horizon,  and  the  sun  stands  forth  in  all 
his  majesty,  and  the  day  with  all  its  life  gathers  round  his  throne. 

(c)  The  dramatic  experience  in  its  suddenness,  brilliancy,  and 
overmastering  effect,  is  like  the  flash  of  the  meteor.  In  either  case 
all  things  receive  illumination  and  meaning  from  the  new  center 
of  light. 

(d)  The  gentler  spiritual  awakening  usually  appears  earlier  in  life 
than  the  more  intense  conversion.  It  is  less  emotional  and  seems 
to  give  results  as  permanent  as  the  other.  Social  pressure  plays 
a  smaller  part  in  it.  The  gentler  spiritual  awakening  is  not  unlike 
the  youth's  awakening  to  a  new  meaning  in  the  customs  of  society, 
the  requirements  of  morality,  or  a  new  meaning  in  some  branch  of 
science  or  body  of  facts.  Youth  is  a  time  when  a  new  sense  of 
values  appears,  when  old  things  are  seen  in  new  relations. 

(e)  Starbuck  found  that  in  the  case  of  the  intense  or  conversion 
experience  of  women  there  were  two  great  tidal  waves  at  the  ages 
of  thirteen  and  sixteen ;  and  that  among  men  a  great  wave  appeared 
at  sixteen,  preceded  by  a  wavelet  at  twelve  and  followed  by  a  surging 
up  at  eighteen  or  nineteen. 

(f)  Coe  found  that  of  several  hundreds  of  cases  studied,  including 
both  the  gentler  and  more  intense  experiences,  the  average  age 
at  which  this  new  experience  came  was  about  sixteen;  and  that  for 
seventy  per  cent  it  came  between  the  ages  of  twelve  and  twenty, 
that  is,  during  youth.  For  but  sixteen  per  cent  did  it  occur  after 
twenty. 

(3)  Influences  affecting: 

(a)   Of  the  influences  at  work  the  most  common  and  apparently 


130  TEACHER-TRAINING   COURSE 

the  most  potent  is  social  pressure.     Second  to  it  in  frequency  and 
importance  is  the  desire  for  a  higher  life. 

(b)  Why  should  social  pressure  be  so  effective?  Perhaps  the 
most  striking  and  important  of  the  tendencies  which  manifest  them- 
selves in  youth  is  the  gang,  or  social,  instinct.  It  appears  when  the 
youth  is  entering  upon  the  last  stage  of  his  preparation  for  life,  his 
preparation  for  the  privileges  and  responsibilities  of  membership  in 
society. 

(c)  This  social  instinct  differs  from  the  fondness  for  companions 
shown  by  the  little  child,  differs  from  the  sympathy  which  shows 
itself  when  the  sight  of  pain  or  joy  calls  up  similar  feelings  in  the 
child,  differs  from  the  boy's  love  of  approbation.  It  means  that  the 
youth  will  subordinate  his  interests  to  those  of  others,  is  ready  to 
endure  self-sacrifice,  will  efface  himself  in  order  that  others  may 
rejoice.  This  is  all  the  more  startling  since  this  is  also  the  age 
of  self-assertion,  of  the  demand  for  emancipation  from  the  control 
of  others.  But  like  the  democracies  of  old,  the  youth  throws  off  the 
authority  of  one  tyrant,  tradition,  only  to  become  a  slave  to  a  greater, 
the  gang.  As  he  grows  older  the  gang  broadens,  including  first 
party  or  sect,  then  country,  then  humanity,  and  last  of  all  history. 
He  has  completed  the  full  circle,  and  returns  to  a  tradition  fraught 
with  new  meaning. 

(d)  Sheldon  found  that  eighty-five  per  cent  of  a  thousand  boys 
and  more  were  members  of  societies  organized  by  themselves;  that 
the  gang  instinct  was  strongest  at  the  ages  of  eleven,  twelve,  and 
thirteen.  Furthermore,  seventy-five  per  cent  of  these  gangs  or 
clubs  were  athletic  and  predatory.  "Physical  activity,"  says  For- 
bush,  "is  the  keynote  of  these  societies  at  all  ages." 

(e)  Perhaps  the  best  illustration  of  the  gang  instinct  is  to  be 
found  in  the  games  of  the  youth.  He  will  do  anything  for  his  team, 
toil  without  limit,  forego  the  most  cherished  pleasures,  even  starve 
himself  under  the  name  of  dieting,  in  order  that  his  team  may  win. 
He  presses  mind  as  well  as  body  into  service.  He  will  elaborate  the 
most  intricate  plays,  spend  sleepless  hours  in  detecting  defects  in 
his  team,  and  planning  how  to  remedy  them.  One-half  the  energy 
spent  on  Euclid  would  make  him  a  prizeman.  The  powers  of  elo- 
quence have  been  exhausted  in  describing  the  power  of  love.  Love 
of  fellows  ranks  with  love  of  women  in  intensity  and  devotion. 

(f)  The  youth's  conscience  serves  the  gang.  Should  loyalty  to 
them  demand  falsehood,  theft,  cruelty,  even  violence  at  times,  he 


SIX   LESSONS    ON    THE   PUPIL  I3I 


will  acquiesce,  nay,  will  even  rejoice  in  violating  all  that  he  has 
been  taught  to  hold  sacred.  To  such  extremes  will  that  spirit,  which 
later  appears  as  unquenchable  patriotism,  go.  Lamentable  as  are  the 
consequences  of  a  gang  at  war  with  society,  there  is  still  hope. 
The  gang  conscience  is  still  true  to  its  members.  The  instinct  is 
now  perverted,  but  it  may  be  converted  into  a  powerful  agent  for 
the  good  of  the  larger  society.  If  in  this  case  it  has  gone  beyond 
the  bounds,  a  wise  foresight  may  anticipate  its  appearance  in  others 
and  turn  it  into  useful  channels.  When  the  boy  approaches  ten,  see 
that  his  surroundings  and  companions  are  good,  an:'  that  opportuni- 
ties for  beneficial  organizations,  such  as  he  delights  in,  are  placed 
within  his  reach. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Describe   two   types    of    religious    experience    characteristic    of 

youth. 

2.  At  what  ages  do  these  religious  experiences  occur? 

3.  What  influence  is  most  potent?  why? 

4.  Distinguish   the   social   instinct   from    (a)    gregariousness,    (b) 

sympathy,  (c)  love  of  approbation. 

5.  At  what  ages  and  in  what  forms  may  it  show  itself? 

6.  Describe  and  explain  gang  ethics. 

7.  How  deal  with  the  gang  spirit?     Should  it  be  suppressed  or 

utilized? 


A  Historical      ''\^^^  b_  calkin 


Geography 
of  Bible  Lands 


Principal  of  the 
ISormal  College 
Truro,  N.  S. 


With  Colored  Maps 

Price.  $1.00  Net 


TPHE  author  of  this  book  has  had  wide  experience  in  teach- 
ing and  training  teachers  in  the  Normal  School,  and  he 
should,  therefore,  know  how  to  present  what  teachers  most  re- 
quire to  learn  This  historical  geography  of  the  Holy  Land 
is  not  the  tlrst  book  that  he  has  written  on  a  geographical 
subject,  U)r  he  has  made  himself  well  known,  not  only  as  an. 
educator,  and  as  a  writer  on  educational  .topics,  but  as  the 
author  of  a  text  book  t»n  world  geography. 

*«  A  Historical  Geography  of  Bible  Lands*'   is  not 

meant  for  teachers  only.  It  is  equally  well  suited  for  the 
average  Bible  reader.  The  matter  it  contains  is  arranged 
systematically  and  not  in  an  encyclopaedic  or  dictionar-y  way. 
It  is  consecutive,  well  analyzed,  and  clear,  so  that  one  can  read 
it  with  interest.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  it  is  based  upon 
the  very  latest  writings  and  discoveries  concerning  the  Holy 
Land. 

The  publishers  have  supplied  numerous  colored* maps,  suf- 
ficient to  illustrate  the  geographical  relations  of  every  topic 
discussed. 


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